BJP leader who was arrested for the murder of Trinamool councillor officially joins TMC

A Bharatiya Janta Party leader who was accused of the murder of a Trinamool Congress councillor has now officially joined the TMC. Nirmal Ghosh was one of the six people who were accused of the murder of Satyajit Biswas and was also sent to jail in the matter but was later acquitted. 

The induction ceremony of Mr Ghosh took place on October 13 at a public event in Bagula, Hanskhali, Nadia district, in the presence of TMC State Vice President Jay Prakash Majumdar and MLA Mukutmani Adhikari. Mr Prakash and Mr Adhikari were both previously members of the BJP who later jumped ship to join TMC. Mr Ghosh was handed the TMC flag and welcomed to the party. 

Talking about Mr Ghosh shifting ship, district BJP Secretary Amit Pramanik of Krishnaganj said that Mr Ghosh has no public presence. “BJP will not lose anything because of this, rather, we will gain. When Nirmal babu used to go out in public, people used to call him a criminal in the Satyajit murder case,” Mr Pramanik said on October 15. 

However, Krishnaganj Block TMC youth president Shubhdeep Sarkar said that anybody who wants to join their party has to seek permission from the district level committee. “It is the decision of the party’s district and state leadership. The party takes the decision after much consideration,” Mr Sarkar added. 

Meanwhile, Mr Ghosh, while speaking to the local media, said that his previous party, the BJP, was responsible for incriminating him in the murder of Mr Biswas and wrongfully keeping him behind bars for six years. “They (BJP) had promised that they would reinstate my previous position in the party after I was acquitted, but they did not keep their promise,” Mr Ghosh said. 

Mr Biswas, a TMC MLA from Krishnaganj constituency, was killed in full public view at a Saraswati Puja event in Fulbari area on February 9, 2019, a few months before the Lok Sabha polls. He was descending from the stage when he was shot at point-blank range. A number of senior TMC leaders, including Minister Ratna Ghosh, were present at the event when the incident happened.

BJP leader Mukul Roy and Ranaghat BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar were among those named in the FIR in connection with the murder.