Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar on Friday, 29 May declared that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not allow any leader from the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) to join its ranks, delivering the statement from Vidyasagar University in Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal. The remarks signal a hardening of the BJP's stance toward TMC defectors at a time when internal fissures within the ruling state party are becoming increasingly visible.

No Entry for Trinamool Leaders

Addressing reporters after the inauguration of certificate courses for retiring military personnel at Vidyasagar University, Majumdar was unequivocal: 'The party has decided that no Trinamool Congress leader will be allowed to enter the BJP. The Trinamool is rotten, we would not take those people.' He added: 'There is nothing called good Trinamool.'

The statement is notable given that cross-party migration from TMC to BJP — and vice versa — has been a recurring feature of Bengal politics, particularly in the run-up to state elections. This public declaration appears intended to draw a clear ideological line.

TMC Infighting and CID Raids

Majumdar also weighed in on the ongoing dispute within the TMC, referring to Trinamool MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar's complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker against fellow TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee. 'Lots of infighting is taking place within the Trinamool Congress. Just wait and watch what happens,' he said.

On a CID team visiting the residence of TMC MLA Nayna Bandyopadhyay, Majumdar said such raids would continue against those who had 'looted' public money. 'BJP will not let them go. They have to return all the money that they have taken as bribe,' he stated.

Kolkata Airport Mosque Relocation

Majumdar also addressed reports that the Suvendu Adhikari-led West Bengal government is reportedly planning to relocate a decades-old mosque within the operational zone of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, as part of a runway expansion drive.

'Big aircraft are unable to land because the length and breadth of the runway cannot be extended due to the mosque. Now the obstruction has been removed and the government has given permission to remove that mosque. As a result the authorities will be able to expand the runway, helping the airport to become much more effective,' he said.

Vidyasagar University Vandalism Row

The minister also responded to questions about an incident on 5 May in which men claiming to be members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) allegedly stormed the Vidyasagar University campus, vandalising premises while chanting slogans. Majumdar distanced both the BJP and the ABVP from the episode: 'ABVP has already said in a press conference that those who were involved in the incident did not belong to the outfit. If somebody, pretending to be an ABVP or BJP member, wants to create ruckus and engage in vandalism, police will take action against them and we won't obstruct them from doing so.'

SSC Examination Pledge

Majumdar further assured that a BJP government in Bengal would conduct the School Service Commission (SSC) examination impartially. 'No one will get jobs on the basis of recommendations, not even on the recommendation of any BJP MLA,' he stressed. The pledge comes against the backdrop of the long-running SSC recruitment scam that has roiled Bengal politics and led to multiple court interventions. All eyes will now be on whether the BJP's stated zero-tolerance posture on TMC defections holds as the next assembly election cycle approaches.