Huge setback for Mamata : 2 TMC MLAs, 60 councillors join BJP

Kolkata: In fresh trouble for the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, two Trinamool Congress and 60 councillors joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday. A CPM MLA has also joined the saffron party.

"Three MLAs and 50-60 Councillors are joining BJP today. Such joinings will continue in future also," Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP national general secretary said.

TMC MLAs Subhranshu Roy, Tusharkanti Bhattacharjee and CPM MLA Devendra Roy joined BJP today in Delhi. Subhranshu is the son of BJP leader Mukul Roy and had been suspended by TMC recently.

The ex-TMC leaders chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' soon after joining the BJP.

Mukul Roy, addressing the press conference where the ex-TMC leaders formally joined the BJP, said that it was first of seven such events.

"Just like seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, there will be seven phases of TMC defectors joining the BJP," Mukul Roy said.

On the accusations on horse trading by the BJP, Mukul Roy said, "Horse trading is being done by TMC. After panchayat polls, she tried to buy over or threaten our people into jumping ship."

"In the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2021, TMC will not even get the Opposition party position," Mukul Roy claimed.

This comes in wake of the BJP earning a massive mandate in West Bengal in the Lok Sabha elections. While the BJP won 18 of total 42 seats in West Bengal, TMC bagged only 22.

The three legislators, including suspended leader Subhrangshu Roy, left for Delhi on Monday evening with 50 councillors from Kanchrapara, Halishahar and Naihati municipalities of North 24 Paraganas.

The BJP is expected to stake a claim for two municipalities once councillors switch the party. Mukul Roy, who left the TMC in 2017 after differences with party supremo Mamata Banerjee, is accompanying the leaders to Delhi.

"We are not upset with Mamata but the recent victory of the BJP in Bengal has influenced us to join the party. People like the saffron party as it is working for them," said Ruby Chatterjee, TMC councillor from Garifa in West Bengal.

Suspended TMC MLA Subhrangshu Roy had earlier said he would join the BJP within a few days, a "new innings" in which he will be able to "breathe freely".

The TMC had suspended Subhrangshu Roy for six years for anti-party comments. After his suspension by the TMC, Subhrangshu had said he intended to follow in the footsteps of his father and join the BJP.