Kolkata: After two consecutive closed-door meetings, the dissenting BJP leaders in West Bengal went on a "picnic" to Gopalpur at Thakurnagar.
Addressing the media, BJP Bongaon MP Shantanu Thakur said that it was not a picnic, it was a "MLA Sankalp Yatra" that he will start in his Lok Sabha constituency, where all MLAs will meet the public.
“We need to strengthen the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Through this public connect programme we can reach out to the masses and address their problems,” said Thakur.
It can be recalled that on Saturday the dissenting leaders held a closed-door meeting at Kolkata Port Trust guest house and according to party sources, they have decided to start a parallel state committee so as to further the work of the party.
Giving a clarification regarding the development, Thakur said that a parallel state committee is needed and also alleged that there are leaders who give "wrong" information to the central leaders.
“The dissenting leaders will soon lead BJP in the state as there are people who are giving wrong information to the central leaders. In order to further the functioning of the party, a parallel state committee is needed,” further mentioned Thakur.
It can be noted that last week following the protest of the dissenting leaders by leaving the party's WhatsApp group, and demanding Matua representation in the new state committee so that the people of Matua Maha Sangha stays close to the BJP, party state president Sukanta Majumdar had canceled all the state committees, departments and cells until further appointments.
It is pertinent to mention that BJP MLA Subrata Thakur on Sunday claimed that soon the Matua leaders will agitate in the national capital over implementation of the CAA in the country.
It is pertinent to mention that implementation of CAA and NRC in order to give citizenship to the Matuas was the main poll plank for the BJP during the 2019 Lok Sabha election despite major protest by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against it. After the election though Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured immediate implementation of the same but due to pandemic, the process got deferred.
However, BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh claimed that no programmes were undertaken without the permission of the central leaders and also that it was just ‘picnic’ and nothing else.
