I shall try to bring back people who left BJP: Sukanta Majumdar

By Saibal Gupta

Kolkata, Sep 22 (IANS) The new state president of BJP Sukanta Majumdar said the party will adopt the 'stick and the carrot' method when it comes to the organisation of the party.

In an interview given to IANS, Majumdar said that on one hand the party will try to reach out to the people who have left and on the other hand it will strictly handle those who have been indulging in anti-party activities.

"The party is here today because of the tireless effort of the workers who have braved all the torture and humiliation and stood behind the party. If they leave the party then it is a huge loss for the party. I shall try to reach out to them, convince them and bring them back to the party," Majumdar told IANS.

Majumdar has been making references to Babul Supriyo several times in the last couple of days.

'Disillusioned' with the party, Supriyo has left BJP and joined Trinamool Congress recently. When asked whether he was referring to Babul Supriyo, the new party chief said, "It's not about a single person but it is all about the ideology and the importance of the person in the growth and development of the person. I cannot make a decision alone but if everyone thinks that the person is important for the party, we will reach out to them and try to bring him back".

When asked about the people who have been indulging in anti-party activities, the MP from Balurghat said, "The party will not accept any kind of anti-party activities. One should understand that BJP is not a person-centric party. The party moves with an ideology. So, no person should consider himself inevitable for the party".

Interestingly enough Rajib Banerjee who came to the BJP from Trinamool Congress just before the Assembly polls said on Tuesday that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is going to win in Bhabanipur with a huge margin and it would have been better if BJP resisted from fielding any candidate against her.

"It is a courtesy. There should not be any doubt that the people who gave her 213 seats, want to see Mamata Banerjee as the chief minister".

When asked about it, Majumdar said, "I am again telling -- the BJP party is not about one person. It is about an organisation. Action will be taken against the people who are working against the organisation. But as I have said before, I cannot take the decision alone. We need to talk with the leaders and then decide the future course of action".

Majumdar, who was inducted in place of Dilip Ghosh, will not only have to handle the defection within the party but will also have to negotiate the internal differences between the old party workers like Tathagata Roy, Dilip Ghosh and Samik Bhattacharya and the new comers like Suvendu Adhikari, Rajib Banerjee, Baishali Dalmia and others.

Majumdar is well aware that he has taken the responsibility of the party when it is marred by post-poll violence and battered by the Trinamool Congress in the Assembly elections and the morale of the workers is all-time low.

"There are problems and my primary work is to build the confidence of the people -- the people who are pillars of the party. I alone can do anything but as a team we can and will throw out this Talibani government from the state. The Lok Sabha election is three years away and I assure you will see a new BJP then," Majumdar signed off.