Mitra, considered close to be BJP veteran L.K. Advani, is believed to have been sidelined under the Modi-Shah leadership.
New Delhi: Former Rajya Sabha MP and editor of The Pioneer, Chandan Mitra, has resigned from the BJP and is likely to join Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, sources close to him said.
Mitra, considered close to BJP veteran L.K. Advani, has been sidelined under the Modi-Shah leadership, said the sources.
It is believed that the two-time Rajya Sabha MP has submitted his resignation but there is no official confirmation on whether BJP chief Amit Shah has accepted it.
Mitra was nominated to the Rajya Sabha twice — in 2003 and 2016.
In 2014, Mitra was the BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from the Hooghly constituency in West Bengal, a seat which he lost to a Trinamool Congress candidate.
In a first-person account of his experiences of contesting the election, Mitra refers to his nomination as “accidental,” describing how he sought the advice from “his friend” Arun Jaitley about whether or not he should “take the plunge”.
The day after the decision was made, he also sought the blessings of then party president Rajnath Singh as well as Advani.
While Mitra was a prominent face of the BJP in Delhi circles, he did not shy away from criticising the party when he deemed fit. He became the target of severe trolling on Twitter by Modi supporters after he termed BJP’s online warriors as “those with nothing better to do”.
Mitra was also quoted as saying that the BJP did not adequately focus on the problem faced by sugarcane farmers after the party lost the Kairana bypoll in Uttar Pradesh in May.
Wah Mitra wah. Enjoyed till you got everything and now leaving sinking boat. Mamta ji should not take Mitra in TMC.
BJP is facing same situation as congress faced before 2014 elections, senior leaders leaving sensing defeat
of all the parties why trinamool? speaks of his mindset, good jettisoning by the BJP
Mitts who was in charge of Odisha from BJP looked and behaved like an idiot. Naveen his old friend did not even bother to meet him. He is a useless fellow.
Chanda Mitra is a most likeable person,witty,suave and sensible.
His departure from BJP is most regrettable,and I hope Amit ji not only declines but wins him back to serve BJP and the nation.A great party like BJP must never let good and loyal,sensitive and sensible intellectual like Chandan Mitra to leave.
He can do a lot to help the party in the coming elections.
Very nicely it is done Mr. Chandan Mitra. The party which is ruling on Hindu Muslim Division strategy is just not worth to say in. Take the example of Croatia with a population equal to Kolkata’s population, can teach world Cop Football Final, and the party you have left is playing dirty politics of Hindu Muslim.Ashish
Mitra leaving will not affect BJP.
Only when a field politician leaves he may take away his constituency.
This is applicable to all parties.
Of course Mitra has a newspaper which can sing a new song
One of quality mitrans has ultimately quitted BJP, bcoz BJP can’t be a place for a sensible human being
Looking for new masters who will throw him the bones. Lutyens wheeler dealer or Presstitute as VKSingh would say.
Thanks
Dissidents may well be placed under hegemony of .Mohatarma Mamata Khala., Mitra probably deserves.
Before that, Shivam kumar singh left the bjp. This party has a tenuous history of sidelining the old loyalists even heavy weight leaders like Advani was doomed to insignificance.
This is a great news. I hope Sushma Swaraj also leaves BJP. That way BJP will be cleansed of such nefarious, oppurtunistic people.