Kolkata: In yet another major exodus from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) to the BJP, 14 members of Malda Zilla Parishad defected to the BJP.
Reading out the names of the members, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said that from a total of 27 members, BJP has 21 members making the ruling Trinamool Congress lose its hold over this Zilla Parishad.
Notably, in another significant political development, five sitting MLAs of the ruling Trinamool Congress and a party candidate for upcoming Assembly elections defected to the saffron camp in presence of the West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh.
“TMC sitting MLAs like Sonali Guha (Satgachia), Sital Sardar (Sankrail), Jatu Lahiri (Shibpur), Rabindranath Bhattacharya (Singur) and Dibendu Biswas (Basirhat Dakshin) defected to the BJP. Though their candidature for the upcoming polls is not finalised,” mentioned the BJP Midnapore MP.
Talking to Free Press Journal, Bengali actor Tanusree Chakraborty who also joined the BJP said that she wants to work for the people for which she had joined the BJP.
Jatu Lahiri said that he couldn’t work under the TMC banner and also that he wasn’t informed that he will not be given a ticket to fight the polls.
Asked that the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had earlier mentioned that those above 80 years of age will not be given tickets due to the pandemic, to which Lahiri said that wasn’t discussed.
“There is always a way out. I feel rejected as I was associated with TMC from its very beginning. But even without discussing I was denied a ticket. If BJP wants I will fight the polls,” mentioned the sitting TMC MLA.
Meanwhile, three days after announcing the name of Habibpur candidate TMC changed the candidate citing ‘ill health’.
Sarla Murmu, whom the TMC had fielded from the Habibpur constituency to fight the Assembly polls had shown her dissent over the constituency. Before Sarla defected to the BJP citing that she was not allowed to work in TMC, TMC has now pitched Pradip Bhasker as the new candidate from the Habibpur seat.
“There is no freedom in TMC. They field candidates but don't give the cadres freedom to work. This is the main reason I defected to the saffron camp,” mentioned Sarla.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor Firhad Hakim stated that with the exodus the TMC won’t be affected as the TMC supremo is capable to fight the poll alone.
Incidentally from a rally, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee urged people not to see the candidates in individual constituencies and assume that she is contesting from all the constituencies.
