Bengal: Kolendranath Mandi joins BJP ahead of polls​

Kolkata, March 26 (IANS) Kolendranath Mandi, a Trinamool member of the Purulia Zilla Parishad, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday. ​

He formally joined the opposition at the state Bharatiya Janata Party’s Salt Lake office in Kolkata in the presence of the party’s state president, Samik Bhattacharya, and Purulia Member of Parliament, who also serves as the state Bharatiya Janata Party’s General Secretary, Jyotirmay Singh Mahato.​

A well-known figure in Santali literature, Kolendra has been engaged in writing poetry, short stories, plays, and essays since 1978. He also conducts research in Santali linguistics. ​

For many years, Kolendra has campaigned against social ills such as the practice of witch-hunting. ​

In the 2023 Panchayat elections, he was elected to the Zilla Parishad on a Trinamool ticket from a seat in the Bandwan block in Purulia district.​

On Thursday, Kolendra noted that his literary works are included in the curricula of Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University and Jhargram Sadhu Ramchand Murmu University. Last February, he received the prestigious Bangabhushan award from the Mamata Banerjee government.​

Following Kolendra’s induction into the Bharatiya Janata Party, Member of Parliament Jyotirmay Mahato said Kolendranath Mandi is not merely one of the prominent leaders of the Jangalmahal region but also a leading voice for tribal language and culture. ​

He added that Mandi’s decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party sends a significant message to the tribal communities of Jangalmahal, a fresh message for the indigenous population. ​

Mahato alleged that under the Trinamool regime, the tribal community had fallen victim to underdevelopment and deprivation.​

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader further said that people are outraged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government has shown disrespect toward the country’s first tribal President, Droupadi Murmu. ​

He claimed this sentiment will have an impact on the upcoming Assembly elections.​

Incidentally, Ajit Mahato, one of the key leaders of the Kurmi movement, had previously joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. In the current election cycle, his son, Rajesh, has been fielded as a candidate from the Gopiballavpur constituency in Jhargram district. ​

Furthermore, the Bharatiya Janata Party has nominated Biswajit Mahato, another leader of the Kurmi movement and a close associate of Ajit, as its candidate for the Joypur Assembly seat in Purulia.​

--IANS

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