Kolkata: Hours after being denied a Lok Sabha ticket from Barrackpore, Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman and Bhatpara MLA Arjun Singh said voters were not happy with sitting MP Dinesh Trivedi due to his prolonged absence from the constituency.
Speaking to News18.com, Singh said, “This time, I was expecting the ticket from Barrackpore. People are angry with Trivedi for his absence from the constituency. But the party (TMC) decided to give him the ticket. I have nothing to say.”
Concerned over the growing rift between Trivedi and Singh, West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee met both the leaders on Monday and asked them to resolve the issue.
When asked whether he was planning to join the BJP like some other disgruntled Trinamool MPs and leaders, Singh, said, “I have many relatives in BJP. Let’s see. I will come up with a decision in the coming days.”
“There is nothing wrong in expecting a ticket from the party. There was a demand from the people that I should be the party candidate. But the party thought that Dinesh Trivedi is the fittest contender,” he added.
Over the past few days, Singh’s supporters have been campaigning aggressively in the Barrackpore, Bhatpara, Bijpur and Naihati areas and dropping hints that he may switch to the saffron party if denied a parliamentary ticket this time.
They also alleged that voters were tired of Trivedi for his prolonged absence from his constituency.
On Tuesday, while releasing the candidate list, Banerjee said six sitting MPs were not given tickets and she wanted them to concentrate on strengthening the party from the ground level.
Welcoming the candidate list, BJP said its hard work and rift in the Trinamool camp would help the saffron party make this election a historic one.
While Banerjee has expressed confidence of winning all the 42 Lok Sabha seats, BJP president Amit Shah has set a target of 23 seats.
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