Bengal couple who hosted BJP chief join Trinamool

Days after hosting BJP president Amit Shah for lunch, a couple — Raju and Geeta Mahali — joined West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday.

Trinamool’s Darjeeling district president and State Tourism Minister Gautam Deb said they joined the party of their own “will,” but BJP State president Dilip Ghosh alleged that the couple was forced to do so.

Reading out a written note from the couple, Mr. Deb said, “On being convinced about the developmental work undertaken by the State government led by [Chief Minister] Mamata Banerjee, we have joined Trinamool Congress of our own choice and will.”

Refuting Mr. Deb’s claim, Mr. Ghosh said, “The couple was threatened. The local Trinamool leaders pressured them to invite the ruling party’s leaders at their house.”

“They were missing for the last few days. We had lodged a missing complaint. The couple did not join Trinamool willingly but were forced,” he added.

During the first leg of his ‘Vistar Yatra’ to expand the BJP’s base, Mr. Shah had lunch at the house of daily wager Raju Mahali. He makes a living by painting apartments and buildings.

Mr. Shah had sat on the floor at the spartan house in Dakkhin Katiajote village in West Bengal’s Naxalbari block and was served vegetarian fare on a banana leaf by Mr. Mahali’s wife.