TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale.
Credit: X/@SaketGokhale
Kolkata: Senior TMC leader Saket Gokhale on Tuesday claimed that three BJP MPs from West Bengal are in touch with the party and the saffron party's tally in Parliament would soon come down to 237.
The comments drew sharp reactions from the West Bengal BJP unit, which dubbed the claim as "baseless" and asserted that the state unit stands united.
The Trinamool Congress secured 29 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.
The BJP, in contrast, faced a significant setback, dropping to 12 seats from the 18 it won in 2019.
"As of today, the numbers in the Lok Sabha are BJP : 240, I.N.D.I.A. : 237. Three BJP MPs in West Bengal are in touch with us and there will be a nice surprise soon. After that, BJP: 237, I.N.D.I.A. : 240.
"Modi's creaky coalition is a temporary structure which isn't going to last very long", Gokhale, a Rajya Sabha MP, posted on X.
In the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the BJP with 240 seats fell short of a majority but the NDA secured the mandate with 293 seats. The Congress bagged 99 seats while the I.N.D.I.A. bloc got 234 seats. Following the polls, two Independents who won have also pledged support to the Congress, taking the I.N.D.I.A. bloc tally to 236.
Reacting to Gokhale's claim, BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said the TMC is "daydreaming".
"Since 2014, the TMC has been daydreaming of becoming the pivotal force in the union government but its hopes were dashed not once but thrice. The BJP and NDA stand united. No BJP MP from Bengal is in touch with the TMC", he said.
Lok Sabha Election 2024 results | Check all constituency results here
Odisha Assembly poll 2024 results| Check constituency results here
Andhra Pradesh Assembly poll 2024 results | Check constituency results here
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 | Narendra Modi's '400-paar' hopes faced stiff competition from Rahul Gandhi's I.N.D.I.A. in an election whose result came as a surprise. Track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The polls in Sikkim saw an SKM landslide win, while Arunachal Pradesh saw BJP return, Andhra Pradesh welcomed TDP with a massive mandate, and Odisha saw BJP end BJD's stronghold. Subscribe and follow DH on Whatsapp, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to never miss out on anything.