BJP calls Babul 'opportunist'; Trinamool says more to follow

Kolkata, Sep 18 (IANS) Though the Trinamool Congress has overwhelmingly accepted Babul Supriyo in the party, the BJP on Saturday accused their two-time MP from Asansol of betraying not only the party, but also the people of his constituency.

The Congress and the CPM, however, termed it as 'politics of opportunists'.

In a surprising turn of events, former Union minister Supriyo, who had to resign from the Union ministry on July 7, joined the Trinamool Congress on Saturday, receiving the Trinamool flag from the party's national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee at the latter's office in South Kolkata.

Though the Trinamool hailed the entry of Supriyo into the party, the BJP MP met with severe criticism from his former camp.

"Babul Supriyo left the party after he was left without a portfolio and this proves that he was in the party only for gains. Now he is with the Trinamool Congress because, perhaps, they have promised something big. He is an opportunist. He has not only betrayed the party, but also the people of his constituency. One thing I can say is that the BJP will again get an MP from Asansol," BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.

Countering Bhattacharya, Trinamool MP and veteran leader Sougata Roy told the media, "After the Assembly elections, four BJP MLAs and one MP have joined the Trinamool Congress and more are likely to follow. There are many big names in the BJP who are waiting. This is the beginning of the end of BJP. No right-thinking people can stay there."

Senior BJP leader and the party's national secretary Rahul Sinha said, "This is a temporary shock and the BJP will surely get over it.

"This cannot be politics. To lure people with money and power or threaten people with police and agencies and bring them into the party fold cannot be healthy politics. The BJP is an organisation-based party that runs on certain ethics and principals. So we are not bothered about it."

"What the BJP did before the elections was ethical politics? They were taking our people and now when the process has reversed, they have suddenly become concerned about ethics and principals. They are getting the same return and they will see it again," Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.

CPM leader Sujan Chakrborty said, "The person who was all praise for Narendra Modi and had accused Mamata Banerjee has suddenly changed colour. Mamata Banerjee has suddenly become an extraordinary leader. Is this politics? This is business. Trinamool Congress has offered him a better bet, so he is with them. If tomorrow any other party offers him something better, it will take two minutes for him to leave Trinamool."

"This is not politics. This is like going to a shop and asking for offers. The shop that gives the best offer, I buy from there. There is neither any ethics nor there is any principle and I find no difference between Trinamool Congress and BJP," state Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.