West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Monday said the party had put up a screening mechanism in place through which representatives of other parties willing to join it would have to go through.
Ever since the party’s upbeat performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the party has been grappling with the issue of induction of leaders from other parties in its fold.
“The party will be there and people from different sections will continue to join it. There has been a controversy recently over a few people. The manner in which a large number of people are joining the party requires the presence of a screening mechanism,” Mr. Ghosh said. Since the issue involved the “image of the party”, discussions were held on this in the recently concluded Chintan Baithak and in Delhi.
“There is a screening committee in every district, which will look into the issue if any important person from the district joins the party. Similarly, at the State-level there is a similar arrangement,” Mr. Ghosh said.
The remarks come a day after two groups of workers of the BJP clashed in the Durgapur area of Pashchim Bardhaman district over representatives from other parties joining the party.
Even during the day, some retired bureaucrats and officials joined the party in the presence of Mr. Ghosh at the State BJP headquarters.
Commenting on the Trinamool Congress roping in I-PAC and poll strategist Prashant Kishor, Mr. Ghosh said there were reports of representatives of I-PAC interfering in the affairs of the government.
“ The administration is being handed over to Prashant Kishor. The Chief Minister has lost her confidence and has leased out the administration,” he alleged.
The BJP leader, who was elected MP from Medinipur, also responded to the Trinamool Congress’s allegations that the BJP-led government at the Centre was harassing Durga Puja committees by issuing notices from the Income Tax department.
The BJP had nothing against Durga Puja and across the country, community pujas were being held in the BJP-ruled States, he said.
