Arjun Singh set to rejoin BJP after being denied Lok Sabha ticket by Trinamul Congress
Telegraph | 15 March 2024
Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh on Thursday announced his decision to rejoin the BJP but refrained from discussing the possibility of contesting from the same seat as the party's nominee.
"I am aligning with the BJP. Today, I am heading to Delhi and will return tomorrow (Friday) to embark on a fresh journey," he said before adding that another Trinamul Congress leader would join the BJP alongside him.
BJP sources said Tamluk MP Dibyendu Adhikari, brother of the leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, would accept the BJP flag in Delhi on Friday.
When Singh was asked if the BJP would field him from Barrackpore, he said: "The party will make the decision. I cannot comment on that.”
Singh's return to the BJP became evident when he expressed dissatisfaction over Trinamul not picking him for the Barrackpore seat.
Top Trinamul leaders, including minister Firhad Hakim, had tried to retain Singh. However, the disgruntled leader placed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s picture in place of Mamata Banerjee's in his office, making it clear that he was disillusioned with Trinamul.
Singh had left Trinamul and joined the BJP before the 2019 general election. The BJP fielded him in Barrackpore, where he defeated Dinesh Trivedi of Trinamul by 14,000 votes.
In 2022, Singh returned to Trinamul but didn't vacate the Lok Sabha seat, effectively remaining as a BJP MP. "He is still a BJP MP," chief minister Mamata Banerjee said recently, indicating that Trinamul had dumped Singh.
In response, Singh said: “She (Mamata) is a senior leader. Despite having so many documents and evidence, she allowed a BJP MP to sit on the stage of her party's political rally for four hours. I thank her for that."
Singh was referring to his presence on the dais of the Trinamul meeting on the Brigade Parade Grounds on Sunday.
Arjun said his first task would be to visit Naihati and offer prayers at the 'Bodma' temple there on Friday.
Asked why he would visit Naihati first, Singh said: “The reason is that the Trinamul candidate for Barrackpore has oppressed the people of this area (Naihati). I want to know what atrocities he has committed.”
Trinamul has fielded Partha Bhowmik in Barrackpore and he is the sitting MLA of Naihati.
Bhowmik, however, was quick to respond. He appointed Arjun’s nephew Sourav Singh as his election agent. Speaking to the media, Sourav said: “He (Arjun Singh) only looks after his interest. He gave a ticket to his son. He used me and then threw me out”.