News Analysis India

Tag: Krishna Kalyani

  • BJP MLA Krishna Kalyani joins TMC, fifth legislator to switch over

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Raiganj’s BJP MLA Krishna Kalyani joined the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday.

    Kalyani is the fifth BJP legislator in West Bengal to join the TMC after winning the assembly elections earlier this year, in a major setback to the opposition party.

    He is the former North Dinajpur district president of the TMC who joined the BJP ahead of the assembly elections and was fielded from Raiganj.

    Kalyan, who has been at odds for quite some time with former Union minister Debasree Choudhury over running the BJP’s affairs in the North Dinajpur district, was welcomed to the TMC by its secretary-general and senior state minister Partha Chatterjee.

    “No self-respecting person can work freely in the BJP,” Kalyani told reporters at the TMC headquarters here.

    He said he was also upset with the “anti-people policies” of the Centre, which has not taken a single step to check spiralling fuel prices.

    “I was increasingly thinking that I cannot be a part of BJP anymore. If I had not spoken in favour of Mamata Banerjee’s welfare policies before the assembly polls, I had made a mistake that I want to correct now,” he said.

    “If someone wants to do good work as an MLA he is not allowed to do that in the BJP,” he alleged.

    Reacting to the development, BJP state President Sukanta Majumder said Kalyani should explain that how he suddenly “woke up” to the policies of Mamata Banerjee.

    “Kalyani will get a befitting reply from the people of Raiganj in the future,” Majumder said, adding that he joined TMC to serve his personal interest.

    Kalyani had quit the BJP earlier this month but did not resign as an MLA.

    Earlier, BJP’s Krishnanagar Uttar MLA Mukul Roy, Bishnupur MLA Tanmay Ghosh, Bagdah MLA Biswajit Das and Kaliaganj MLA Soumen Roy joined the TMC, besides Asansol MP Babul Supriyo.

    The MLAs are yet to resign from the assembly or to be disqualified under the anti-defection law, while Supriyo has put in the papers.

    BJP had won 77 seats in the assembly elections with two of the legislators — Dinhata MLA Nisith Pramanik and Santipur MLA Jagannath Sarkar — later resigning to retain their MP seats.

    TMC had won 213 seats in the assembly elections in April-May and bagged the Samserganj and Janipur seats earlier this month, taking its tally to 215 in the 294-member House.

  • BJP suffers big setback as another MLA from north Bengal quits party

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA: The BJP on Friday received another jolt in its north Bengal stronghold as the MLA from Raiganj in North 24 Dinajpur, Krishna Kalyani, announced his resignation from the party on Friday. The resignation came a day after the saffron camp sent Kalyani a showcause notice for speaking against the party’s Raiganj MP and former Union minister Debasree Chaudhuri.   

    Earlier, Kalyani had accused Debasree of hatching a conspiracy against him. 

    “I cannot work in the same party where the Raiganj MP is. I worked for the people and in return, I have been issued a showcause letter. People of Raiganj hardly see the MP’s face but she is being awarded. It is better to quit the party,” said Kalyani. 

    The MLA, however, did not disclose anything about his future course of action or whether he would join any other political party.    

    BJP’s state president Sukanta Majumdar requested Kalyani to return to the party. “I would like to request him to consider his decision and come back. The issue can be resolved by holding dialogues,” he said. 

    Last month, Kalyani had expressed his displeasure against BJP leadership saying he would take a decision on his political future shortly if his grievances were not addressed. Referring to the defection of MLAs from the party, he had also said those leaving the party must have serious grievances that have not been taken care of. 

    Since the Assembly elections, four BJP MLA defected to the TMC reducing the saffron camp’s legislative strength to 71 from 77. Two sitting MPs, who won in the Assembly polls, resigned as they decided to continue as lawmakers in the Parliament.

  • Another Bengal BJP MLA Krishna Kalyani expresses anguish against party leadership

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Expressing his anguish against the party’s leadership, BJP’s Raiganj MLA Krishna Kalyani on Sunday said he will take a decision on his political future soon if his grievances are not addressed.

    Speaking to reporters, Kalyani said those leaving the BJP must have serious grievances which have not been taken care of.

    “I have distanced myself from all programmes of the party and have given a deadline by which, issues raised by me should be addressed or else I will have to think,” he said.

    Kalyani, however, did not elaborate on his grievances.

    Asked whether he will join some other party, Kalyani said that he was contemplating options and would make public his decision at the right time.

    MP Babul Supriyo and four MLAs, including Mukul Roy, have left the BJP to join TMC after assembly election results were declared on May 2.

    “It has to be seen on what circumstances they are leaving,” Kalyani said.

    The TMC district leadership in Uttar Dinajpur said that they would welcome Kalyani to the party.