Rift in BJP: Dissident party leaders hold picnic

KOLKATA: The rift in state BJP unit became evident as the dissident party leaders joined a picnic in North 24-Parganas on Monday afternoon and posters demanding resignation of party's state secretary, Amitava Chakraborty, surfaced in various parts of Kolkata, including at a spot near the state headquarters of the part on Muralidhar Sen Lane.

Shantanu Thakur, party's Lok Sabha MP and minister-of-state for Shipping, was the key person in the picnic. The state committee members, who had been dropped—including Sayantan Basu and Joy Prakash Majumdar—joined the picnic. Three sitting BJP MLAs were also present. On Sunday, BJP leaders of the Matua community had joined the Matua Mahasammelan and demanded that the Centre should implement CAA immediately. The Mauta leaders said they had been duped by the central leadership.

Meanwhile, in the posters, Chakraborty has been described as 'an agent of PK'. Before 2021 Assembly election, some followers of Suvendu Adhikari had formed 'Dadar Anugami' (followers of dada) group. After the poll debacle, the group was dissolved and Adhikari was told by the central leadership that the party does not encourage such groups or sub groups. Again, the group has been reconstituted.