Bagchi, an advocate, came into the limelight last year after he was arrested by the police for his remarks against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He later shaved his head and said he would remain bald till the TMC government was in power in the state.
On Wednesday, Bagchi, one of the Congress spokespersons in the state, said he has tendered his resignation letter to the Congress high command and West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
In his letter, Bagchi, who is seen as a rebel leader, claimed that the Congress has lost credibility as a political party. “I have resigned from the party. I have given up my primary membership. I have informed my decision to part high command and state Congress leadership as well. The party has lost credibility,” Bagchi said.
“In West Bengal, the Pradesh Congress committee has no importance. The party high command sees the Trinamool Congress as its West Bengal unit. The party is more interested in forging a friendship with the TMC than strengthening the state party unit. Therefore, I cannot compromise with my self-esteem and not fight against the TMC,” Bagchi said. He also questioned the Congress high command’s silence on the Sandeshkhali issue.
In March last year, the Kolkata police had arrested Bagchi after he allegedly criticised Banerjee for her “personal attack” on state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. After being granted bail, Bagchi shaved his head and vowed to stay bald till the Mamata Banerjee government was ousted from Bengal. Since then, Bagchi has been seen as a fierce critic of the TMC government and often shared the dais with the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari during protests.
“He needed an excuse to leave the party. He is maligning the image of the party so that he can jump the ship and join another party. He was also skipping party meetings and programmes. His way of speaking matches with BJP leaders such as Suvendu Adhikari. Therefore, we thought that he might join the saffron camp,” state Congress spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy said.
Rajya Sabha MP-elect and BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said the Congress is losing ground across the country, including West Bengal. “The party’s position in Himachal Pradesh is uncertain. Their leaders are leaving the party across the country. The same is taking place in West Bengal too,” Bhattacharya said.