Jolt for BJP in Bengal as another party MLA joins Trinamool

KOLKATA: Ahead the forthcoming panchayat polls in West Bengal, the BJP on Sunday received a major jolt as another party MLA shifted to the ruling Trinamool Congress.

On Sunday afternoon, BJP legislator from Alipurduar constituency in Alipurduar district Suman Kanjilal reached the office of Trinamool's national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee in south Kolkata and joined the ruling party.

Banerjee himself handed over the party flag to Kanjilal - the sixth BJP legislator and the third from north Bengal to join Trinamool after the 2021 assembly elections. With this, the total number of BJP MLAs in the Assembly has come down to 68.

The Trinamool, in a statement. said that Kanjilal had joined them rejecting the anti- people policies of BJP as well as to be a part of the development activities under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Although Kanjilal himself had not made any comment on his action, his close associates said that his differences with BJP Lok Sabha member John Barla were the reasons for his decision to quit the party and join Trinamool.

State General Secretary and spokesman Kunal Ghosh told media persons that Kanjilal was the beginning and more elected BJP representatives are keen to join the state's ruling party. "We have asked them to wait for some time," Ghosh said. BJP's state spokesman in West Bengal Samik Bhattacharya said that since Kanjilal's decision to join Trinamool was prompted by his ambition to be a part of the power centre, his defection will not make any difference for BJP in the days to come.

CPI-M Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty said it is unfortunate that the turncoat politics has become the culture of West Bengal currently. "Trinamool Congress has introduced this culture in the state and there is constant competition going on between Trinamool and BJP is taking place in West Bengal these days," he said. (IANS)