Trinamul Congress’s internal assessment on the actual extent of damage in the wake of Suvendu Adhikari’s departure and the consequent bandwagon effect is veering towards the view that there is no need for pessimism yet.
Sources in the ruling party said the BJP had, with considerable success, gone about peddling the perception that Trinamul was all but gone with the desertions, but other than Adhikari himself, the party was yet to lose notable key leaders with mass connect or organisational abilities.
There are rumours in the power corridors that with Adhikari, “three-five MPs and 20-odd MLAs” are likely to join the BJP, either this weekend, or over the next few weeks. Hundreds of elected representatives at local bodies and organisational office-bearers of Trinamul are also rumoured to embrace the BJP.