2 Bengal BJP MLAs to give up seats, retain MP berths

Two BJP MPs - Jagannath Sarkar and Nisith Pramanik, elected to the Bengal assembly from Santipur and Dinhata, respectively - are likely to give up their MLA seats and send their resignation to Speaker Biman Banerjee within two weeks. The BJP brass wants them to retain their Parliament membership, which will allow them to serve seven assembly segments instead of one each. “The party has sent out a message that it wants me to retain the berth in Parliament. I have been a BJP soldier and will continue to be so,” Sarkar said. “We will submit our resignation within two weeks,” he added. Pramanik, who won by a wafer-thin margin of 57 votes, voiced similar sentiments. The decision of the two BJP MPs will leave a total of five Bengal assembly seats vacant.