In a significant blow to the Left in West Bengal, Soumya Basu, the son of the late legendary CPM leader Anil Basu, officially joined the BJP on Monday. The induction took place during a rally at Chinsurah, attended by BJP State President Shamik Bhattacharya. Soumya, who once led SFI and DYFI units, raised “Jai Shri Ram” slogans and declared that the current Left ideology has lost its connect with the common people.

Anil Basu was a political giant of the Left era, famously winning the Arambagh Lok Sabha seat in 2004 by a record margin of nearly 6 lakh votes. Despite being expelled from the party in 2012 for derogatory remarks against Mamata Banerjee, he remained a staunch Marxist until his death in 2018. However, his son’s defection marks a historic shift in the family’s political legacy. “There is a massive difference between the Left of Jyoti Basu and Subhas Chakraborty and the Left of today. Current leaders represent the elite, while the BJP attracts me with its patriotism,” Soumya stated.

Welcoming him into the fold, Shamik Bhattacharya urged Soumya to work for the victory of BJP candidate Subir Nag. Soumya’s entry into the BJP is expected to shift the tactical balance in the Hooghly and Arambagh belts, where his father once held undisputed sway.