By Saibal Gupta

Kolkata, May 15 (IANS): BJP boycotted the Speaker election in the West Bengal Assembly protesting against post-poll violence in the state and that is indicative enough that the saffron party will not leave grounds to the Trinamool Congress though the ruling party captured over two-third majority in the recently concluded assembly polls.

"We are going to play the role of a constructive opposition. We are with the ruling party so far as any development program or any initiative that will benefit the people but we will protest strongly if we see that Trinamool Congress is trying to cause hindrance to the people.

"We have already played the role of a cooperative opposition so far as the state's effort to control coronavirus and vaccination is concerned but we cannot accept hooliganism of the ruling party after the announcement of the election results," a senior BJP leader told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

Though the BJP legislative party is yet to develop a comprehensive plan of action for the upcoming Assembly Sessions, its state high command has already instructed the 75 MLAs to go back to their constituencies and reach out to the people.

When asked how they would like to fare in the coming sessions in the assembly, another senior BJP leader said, "It is very difficult to say right now. We will decide once and when things occur. This is for the first time we are playing the role of the main opposition and we don't want to send a wrong signal to the people".

BJP is primarily worried on two accounts -- the erosion of votes particularly among the upper and lower caste Hindus and the absence of an acceptable face who will be able to counter Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

State BJP President Dilip Ghosh has already told the national leaders present in the state to go back and assured that the state BJP unit is capable of handling the ground situation better making it clear that the national BJP leaders did not have an acceptance among the voters.

The BJP legislative party has already nominated TMC turncoat, who defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram battle -- Suvendu Adhikari as the Leader of the Opposition.

It goes without saying that an avid speaker Adhikari will put a stiff resistance both to Mamata Banerjee and the party in general inside the assembly. BJP will definitely try to reap the benefits of it.