Two days after resigning as a judge in the Calcutta high court, Abhijit Gangopadhyay on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Earlier, on Tuesday, after resigning as the high court judge, he had announced that he would be joining the saffron party.
"Today, I have joined a new field. I am happy to join the BJP and will work as a party soldier. Our objective is to oust the corrupt TMC regime from the state," he said after his official joining.
Gangopadhyay, whose rulings on various education-related matters in the state stirred political debates, especially involving Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress, refrained from giving a direct reply to whether he would contest the polls.
"Whatever task the party assigns me, I will perform it diligently," he said.
He was given a grand welcome at the BJP office in Salt Lake, as state party president Sukanta Majumdar handed him the party flag.
"West Bengal's politics needs a person like Abhijit Gangopadhyay," BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, said.
Welcoming him to the party, Majumdar said, "He may have resigned as a judge, but he will be still known as Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay for his remarkable judgments."
"His joining the saffron camp proves that the BJP is the only party which can fight against TMC's corruption and misrule in Bengal," he said.
His joining triggered a sharp response from the ruling TMC, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing him of "taking away jobs of thousands of youths" across the state through his politically biased judgments.
"The BJP guy who was sitting on the chair as a judge has joined the BJP. The youths will not forgive you. All your judgments are under question. We will ensure your defeat. From tomorrow onwards, the people of the state will act as the judge for your actions," she said while addressing a procession in the metropolis.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said Gangopadhyay's joining exposes the BJP's "twisted tango with a section of judiciary."
"SEEING IS BELIEVING! Talk about a 180-degree turn - from ORDERING CBI inquiries to JOINING @BJP4India, especially through someone named in a CBI FIR! This glaring flip EXPOSES the BJP's TWISTED TANGO with a SECTION OF JUDICIARY, all to the DETRIMENT of BENGAL'S INTERESTS," he posted on X along with a picture of him joining the saffron camp.
Gangopadhyay, known for his swift directives, occasionally mandating compliance within hours, has garnered appreciation from diverse segments of society, particularly aspiring candidates for school jobs, who had been facing flak from the TMC for the last two years.
Gangopadhyay, who practised law at the high court, joined the Calcutta high court as an additional judge on May 2, 2018. He was elevated as permanent judge on July 30, 2020, according to data on the high court's website. He was scheduled to retire in August this year.
