Trinamool exodus continues as another MLA switches to BJP

The BJP projected the decision of TMC's Muslim MLA to join the party as a vindication of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwash" (together with all, development for all, trust of all).

Earlier in the day, BJP sources claimed that Six legislators of the Trinamool Congress are likely to switch sides in a few days along with a few former MPs of the party.

"Six TMC MLAs are likely to join us soon. Many more councillors of various municipalities are also in line. Just wait and watch," a senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.

The leader said not just MLAs, a few former MPs of Trinamool Congress, are also in touch with the party and have expressed their desire to join BJP in its "fight against misrule of the TMC".

Of the six MLAs, four are from south Bengal and two from north Bengal, he said.

Within hours of the 'revealing' information, one of TMC's most prominent Muslim faces and MLA joined the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP.

Monirul Islam, elected from Labpur constituency, and several office bearers of the Trinamool Congress in Birbhum district joined the saffron camp at the BJP headquarters here in the presence of BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and senior leader Mukul Roy.

They include Gadadhar Hazra, a former Trinamool MLA, Asif Iqbal and Nimai Das. Iqbal and Das are district office bearers of the party.

After their formal induction, Vijayvargiya accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of practising politics of "terror" in the state and claimed she had lost the faith of the people as well party cadres.

"People of West Bengal have now faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they feel he can do all round development of the state," he said.

On Tuesday, Three MLAs, including BJP leader Mukul Roy's son Subhrangshu Roy, and over 50 councillors, most of them from the Trinamool Congress, joined the saffron party on Tuesday as it works to consolidate its position in the state following impressive show in the Lok Sabha polls.

In a stunning performance, the BJP won 18 Lok Sabha seats in the state, only four less than TMC's 22.

The MLAs who joined the BJP at a press conference are Congress's Tusharkanti Bhattacharya and CPI(M)'s Debendra Nath Roy, besides Roy who was suspended from the TMC for "anti-party" activities after the election results were announced.

The Trinamool Congress, however, tried to downplay the development.

"One suspended MLA of Trinamool joined BJP yesterday. The others were from Congress and CPI(M). The number of councillors is 6. That too they were forced at gunpoint to do so," the TMC said in a tweet.

The Trinamool Congress leadership Tuesday had accused the BJP of indulging in horse-trading, an allegation denied by the BJP.

"The allegation is completely baseless. If someone wants to join BJP and fight against TMC's misrule, how can we stop it. And TMC leaders should be the last person to talk about horse trading, when TMC poached on Congress and CPI(M) MLAs in last few years, what was that? Is it not horse trading?" BJP leader Mukul Roy said.