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Trinamool Congress MP Shatrughan Sinha has claimed that the BJP had approached him with an offer to leave the party, while several other TMC leaders were allegedly offered “blank cheques” amid attempts to weaken the West Bengal ruling party.

The Asansol MP said he rejected the offer, making it clear that he could not be persuaded by financial or other incentives to switch sides. According to Sinha, he was told that various “comforts” would be made available to him, but he turned them down.

“I am tikaau, not bikaau,” Sinha said in an interview with ABP News Political Affairs Editor Megha Prasad. He added that he did not want any such facilities and would not compromise his character.

Sinha also spoke at length about his political journey, his relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his admiration for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Sinha Recalls Nearly Three Decades In BJP

Sinha said he spent nearly 30 years in the BJP and credited former prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and senior leader LK Advani with shaping the party during that period.

Speaking about Modi’s rise within the BJP, Sinha said the emergence of the then Gujarat chief minister as a major national leader was widely accepted. He recalled that he and others had wanted Modi to take charge in the absence of the party’s senior leadership.

Sinha said he had worked alongside Modi and considered him a friend. He said he continued to regard him as a friend, although Modi had since become the country’s prime minister and a prominent figure in society.

According to Sinha, he and leaders such as Yashwant Sinha supported Modi when he emerged as the BJP’s central leader. However, he said he became cautious after witnessing changes within the party, particularly what he described as senior and veteran leaders being sidelined.

‘I Always Considered Modi A Friend’

Sinha said he had referred to Modi as a “friend of society” rather than a guide, while maintaining that he respected him as the prime minister.

He said he had wanted Modi to become prime minister and continued to believe in the principle, “Once a friend, always a friend.” Sinha also praised Modi’s 12 years of leadership, saying he deserved congratulations regardless of how he had led.

Sinha said his differences with the BJP gradually grew as he watched developments within the party. He claimed that he eventually decided to chart his own political course after raising issues concerning public interest.

He also alleged that he was deliberately defeated in the Patna election from the constituency he had represented as an MP twice.

‘They Offered Facilities, But I Said No’

Sinha alleged that attempts were made to weaken the TMC through money, inducements and the use of investigative agencies. He claimed that after the BJP could not defeat Mamata Banerjee decisively in West Bengal, efforts were made to split the TMC by exploiting “technical loopholes” in the Constitution.

He said his own name was subsequently mentioned among leaders allegedly willing to rebel and claimed that reports suggested he had been among the first to sign up. Sinha rejected the allegations.

The TMC MP said the BJP had indeed contacted him and offered him various facilities, but he refused to leave the party.

Sinha also claimed that his security cover was subsequently withdrawn, from Z-category protection to no security. However, he said he did not hold a grudge over the alleged offer.

“If somebody calls me with love, I will like it, but I will not like the offer,” Sinha said, reiterating that he would not compromise his principles or character.