Chandra Bose Quits BJP, Joins TMC Ahead of Bengal Polls
Chandra Bose Quits BJP, Joins TMC Ahead of Bengal Polls
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's grandnephew joins Trinamool Congress, calling his BJP stint a historic mistake as Bengal braces for assembly elections.
Kolkata: In a dramatic reshuffle ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls, Chandra Kumar Bose, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's grandnephew, announced on Sunday that he is quitting the Bharatiya Janata Party and has joined the Trinamool Congress. Bose said his decision to join the BJP years ago was a “historic mistake,” adding that Bengal’s history, tradition and culture have little in common with the BJP’s ideology.
He told reporters that returning to Bengal's political fold by joining the TMC is a corrective step aimed at uniting people around the state's legacy. “With Bengal’s history, tradition and culture, there are no similarities with the BJP,” he said, stressing that the TMC stands for preserving and promoting the values he believes in.
The development comes as parties gear up for the elections, with TMC welcoming Bose as a high-profile addition from a lineage tied to Netaji. Analysts say the move could energize a section of voters who hold Netaji's legacy in high regard, while BJP voices caution that allegiance shifts do not automatically translate into electoral gains. The BJP has argued that its development agenda has broad appeal, but critics point to internal churn in Bengal as a sign of broader challenges for the party in the state.
Hindustan Times quoted Bose slamming the BJP's “divide and vote bank politics” as part of his critique, underscoring the contentious rhetoric shaping Bengal politics in the run-up to the polls. As campaigns intensify, Bose’s switch adds another layer to a battlefield where regional parties seek to consolidate influence against the national parties.
