Calcutta, March 20: A visible rift among BJP MLAs in the Bengal Assembly over repeated walkouts and session boycotts became evident on Thursday when party’s Chakdaha MLA Bankim Ghosh, a known loyal of Nandigram MLA Suvendu Adhikari, termed such decisions as “mistakes.”
In a remark that left Adhikari uncomfortable, Ghosh openly criticized the practice, stating that MLAs should have remained inside the House instead of staging walkouts in protest. “We should have stayed inside the House and participated in discussions on crucial subjects like health and education,” he said, clarifying that the statement as his “personal opinion.”
On Thursday, BJP MLAs walked out of the Assembly in protest against an alleged attack by Trinamool Congress supporters on Adhikari and other BJP legislators in Baruipur the previous day. They also staged demonstrations outside the Assembly, burnt papers, effigies and abstained from participating in the session, even as discussions on the health and education budgets were underway.
Bankim Ghosh, a resident of Haringhata in Nadia and a former CPM leader who once served as a state minister in Buddhadeb Bhattacharya’s cabinet, questioned the wisdom of boycotting such important discussions. “We could not stay inside the House during the budget discussions on health and education. We boycotted the session and came out. But it seems we made a mistake,” he told reporters.
Reiterating his stance, Ghosh emphasized, “We need to reflect on this decision in the coming days.”
Arguing that BJP MLAs should participate in Assembly debates for the sake of the people, he said, “Health and education are two crucial subjects, but we boycotted the Assembly. In my personal opinion, I think we did not make the right decision. We should have stayed inside and spoken. It would have been better if we had walked out over some other issue. These two subjects required our presence.”
BJP MLAs have boycotted the Assembly throughout the second part of the budget session, making walkouts and protests a regular occurrence. Some have also faced suspension for disruptive demonstrations, which also prompted MLAs to walk out.
Expressing his frustration, Ghosh remarked, “The Assembly exists for the opposition. We were elected to speak for the people. Our voices should be heard in the House, but we have fallen into a trap set by the government. I believe we need to rethink our strategy. We must protest inside the Assembly.”
Party sources indicated that Ghosh’s remarks left Suvendu Adhikari both uncomfortable and upset. However, Ghosh later denied any internal disagreements among BJP MLAs. Clarifying his position, he told The NfN, “MLAs are being silenced. Whenever they tried to speak, ruling party MLAs interrupted, the Speaker cut short their time, or faced suspension and sometimes evicted with the help of marshals. This is not how democracy should function.”
He insisted that BJP MLAs were not walking out voluntarily but were being forced to do so in response to “undemocratic” actions by the Speaker and the ruling party. “All decisions regarding walkouts have been in line with party strategy. None of us, including myself, have spoken against the party line,” he added.
“The reality is that we want to speak, and speaking inside the Assembly is crucial. But we are being silenced by the Speaker and the ruling party. In this session, the Speaker appeared particularly aggressive, determined not to let us raise important issues. We are being forced to walk out. Why should we have to? The ruling party is afraid of media attention on issues like the RG Kar protests and other public concerns. Otherwise, it would be unthinkable to suspend the Leader of the Opposition for nine months,” Ghosh said.
State BJP spokesperson Jagannath Chattopadhyay also dismissed any internal differences, backing Ghosh’s comments. “Bankim Ghosh simply pointed out that our MLAs are being forced to walk out due to the Speaker’s undemocratic conduct. He (Bankim) said nothing wrong. The Speaker and the ruling party are attempting to suppress the voice of opposition MLAs,” Chattopadhyay stated.
Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari filed a complaint via email with Baruipur police on Wednesday night regarding the alleged attack on him and other BJP MLAs by Trinamool supporters. The BJP also moved the Calcutta High Court, accusing the police of security lapses. The case is scheduled for a hearing on Monday.
Condemning the Baruipur incident, the BJP launched statewide protests, with the main demonstration held in Tamluk. Adhikari led a rally from Rajbati Maidan to Hospital More, calling for the ouster of the Trinamool government and vowing to secure at least 180 seats in the 2026 Assembly elections. Speaking to reporters, he said, “We will file a complaint before the Calcutta High Court on March 27. We will not only take legal action against the police but also demand the arrest of the local SP.”
Earlier in the day, tensions ran high in the Assembly over the Baruipur attack. BJP MLAs walked out and staged a protest outside, demanding the arrest of Speaker Biman Banerjee and Baruipur SP Palash Chandra Dhali. BJP’s Siliguri MLA Shankar Ghosh lashed out at the Speaker, calling him a “slave” of the ruling party. “He is disgracing the Speaker’s chair,” he alleged.
In response, Speaker Biman Banerjee dismissed BJP’s actions as a “desperate bid for power”.