Ex-Kolkata Mayor, Baisakhi want to quit BJP within a month

Kolkata: Just three weeks after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, former Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee's friend Baisakhi Banerjee on Saturday expressed her wish to quit the BJP, claiming a section of leaders was trying to tarnish her image by spreading falsehood.

Banerjee said, Chatterjee also wanted to quit the BJP but they were yet to take a decision. Describing the environment in the BJP as "malicious", she said, "We will send our resignation, if required."

"After a discussion with Bengal party observer Kailash Vijayvargiya last Thursday, we came to know that a section of leaders was not aware about our joining the BJP. Hence, the attempt to tarnish our image by spreading falsehood in the media," Banerjee said.

The former Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader said, staying in the previous party would have been better.

"It's impossible for us to work in such an environment. Sovanda also said he has decided to stay away from politics. It was me who inspired him to take up a new challenge by joining the BJP", she said.

Some leaders were trying to tarnish our image by attacking me constantly, she added.

Ending months of speculation, former TMC leader Chatterjee and his friend Banerjee had joined the BJP at the party headquarters in New Delhi on August 14. Chatterjee's induction was hailed by the Bengal BJP leadership as the party's biggest catch from TMC after Mukul Roy.