Kolkata/ New Delhi, January 30, 2021: After the cancellation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to West Bengal, the BJP on Saturday afternoon sent leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in a chartered plane. Amit Shah canceled the tour of West Bengal after the IED blast near the Israeli embassy in the capital Delhi on Friday. Former Bengal minister Rajib Banerjee was also among those who flew from Kolkata to Delhi on Saturday afternoon at 4.10 p.m.

Apart from this, Rajib Banerjee, MLA from Howrah’s Domjur assembly seat, resigned on Friday. Along with the MLA from Hawali’s Balli, Vaishali Dalmiya who was recently dropped from the party by TMC, Prabin Ghoshal, MLA from Uttarpara in Hooghly district, Rathin Chakraborty, former Mayor of Howrah city, Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, former MLA from Ranaghat and actor Rudranil Ghosh are included. Ghosh recently started speaking against TMAC. Before Mamata Banerjee came to power, Rudranil was a CPI (M) supporter but as soon as TMC came to the state, he switched sides.

Home Minister Amit Shah was supposed to reach Kolkata at 11 pm on Friday night, but he had to cancel the visit due to security after the IED blast near the Israeli embassy in Delhi. Amit Shah, who reached Bengal on Saturday night, was to welcome the disgruntled TMC leaders at a party rally in Howrah district on Sunday afternoon.

Talking to Hindustan Times, BJP Vaishali Dalmiya who will join party headquarters, said, “We have been told that when we join BJP at BJP’s headquarters in Delhi, Amit Shah will also be present there. Dalmiya said that it is an honor for us that Amit Shah has sent a special aircraft for us. We will return tomorrow from Delhi and take part in the rally in Howrah. We had no choice but to leave TMC.” Bengal BJP leaders said that a rally would be organized in Howrah on Sunday. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh may also address the rally. Rajnath Singh is scheduled to reach Kolkata on Saturday night.