BJP hires 3 trains for Rs 60L to ferry supporters for Modi's rally

Kolkata: In a first, three trains have been hired to bring BJP supporters from the districts to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Brigade rally scheduled to be held on Sunday afternoon. Actor Mithun Chakraborty is likely to share the stage with PM Modi.

According to sources, the Saffron party is spending over Rs 60 lakh for hiring these three trains booked from Alipurduar, Malda and Harishchandrapur in North Dinajpur district. The special trains (having 22 bogies) from Alipurduar and Malda will depart on Saturday evening and reach Howrah station by 6 am on Sunday. The hiring charge of these two special trains are Rs 26 lakh and Rs 22 lakh respectively.

The third special train (having 16 bogies) from Harishchandrapur will depart on Saturday evening and reach Sealdah station Sunday morning. The hiring charge of this special train is Rs 18 lakh.

The train will reach three destinations and wait for 18 hours on two sidings at Howrah and Sealdah and will take back BJP supporters to their respective destinations

after the PM rally.

According to IRCTC sources, the trains have been hired by paying more than 10 percent of normal special train fare. Meanwhile, former Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi joined the BJP on Saturday.

His shifting to the saffron party comes merely weeks ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls. Trivedi had resigned from Rajya Sabha and Trinamool membership on February 12. Two days after his resignation, the Trinamool Congress complained to Rajya Sabha Chairman alleging that Trivedi had misutilised the floor of the House for his devious political ends and has taken it 'for a ride' flouting rules

and traditions.

TMC's chief whip in the Rajya Sabha Sukhendu Sekhar Ray in a letter to the RS chairman urged him to immediately constitute an inquiry into the matter and find out the reasons behind such unprecedented illegality committed by Trivedi.