Bengal MLA quits BJP, set to join TMC; the 5th since polls

MALDA: BJP Raiganj MLA Krishna Kalyani quit the party on Friday, taking away the gains the saffron party had made in Uttar Dinajpur in the assembly polls. Kalyani’s resignation came days after the other BJP MLA from the district, Soumen Roy from Kaliyaganj, switched over to Trinamool. Like others, Kalyani, too, is set to join TMC.With Kalyani, as many as five BJP MLAs have quit since poll results were declared on May 2 despite leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari’s warning to cancel their assembly membership under the anti-defection law.After BJP MPs Nisith Pramanik and Jagannath Sarkar resigned as MLAs to continue in Parliament and after Friday’s development, BJP’s tally in the Bengal Assembly is down from 77 to 70.Kalyani called it quits on a day BJP arranged for a civic reception for newly appointed state president and Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumdar in Kolkata. Kalyani was issued a show-cause on Wednesday after he went public against former Union minister and Raiganj MP Debasree Chaudhuri and Majumdar.“I had some issues with the district party and the MP (Debasree Chaudhuri) in particular. I had given the party a month’s time to resolve the issues. They served me a show-cause instead. I can’t continue in such a situation,” Kalyani said.He accused Debasree of “conspiring” against him. “The MP is not available for the people of Raiganj. But she has been trying to queer my pitch, my good work. I can’t bear with the treachery any longer,” Kalyani said.The Raiganj MLA parried questions over possibilities of his joining the TMC. However, sources close to him held that it was just a matter of days.The BJP state president took note of the desertions in a meeting of the BJP legislative wing on Friday. “We need to find out why some people are leaving the party. We have nothing against them if they resign as MLA after leaving the party. But if they continue as MLAs as people did earlier, the party will take legal steps,” Majumdar said.