Kolkata, Feb 26 Sumitra Chattopadhyay, a fifth-generation descendant of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the writer of India's national song, Vande Mataram, and the iconic Bengali poet-cum-writer, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday.
He joined the BJP at the party's state headquarters at Salt Lake in Kolkata in the presence of the Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav, and the State BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP, Samik Bhattacharya.
Sumitra Chattopadhyay, a former bureaucrat was associated with the West Bengal Labour department.
The BJP views this combination of administrative experience and family tradition of Sumitra Chattopadhyay as a major weapon in the psychological battle against the Trinamool Congress in the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal scheduled later this year.
After joining the BJP on Thursday afternoon, Sumitra Chattopadhyay launched a scathing attack against the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government over the latter's employment policy in the state.
He narrated his experience as a former bureaucrat with the state Labour department, on how the current state government deleted the data on unemployed youths in the state recorded at the employment exchange centres in the state, and instead created a vague employment bank system.
"Although 40 lakh names were registered at the employment bank, no real solution to the unemployment problem in West Bengal was arrived at."
Political observers say that when a former state government official makes such allegations with facts, it goes beyond political commentary and becomes important as evidence of administrative failure in West Bengal.
While inducting Sumitra Chatterjee to the BJP, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav referred to the Bengali sentiments and nostalgia associated with Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
"Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's song 'Vande Mataram' is the backbone of nationalism and patriotism in this country. It is a matter of pride to have a member of his family at the BJP," Union Minister Yadav said.
Stat BJP President Samik Bhattacharya said that the joining of a tall personality like Sumitra Chattopadhyay is a positive indication for the current state of political affairs in West Bengal.
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