BJP MLA Soumen Roy on Saturday joined the Trinamool Congress in presence of state minister and party leader Partha Chatterjee in Kolkata. With Soumen Roy joining the TMC, the BJP's tally in the state assembly has come down to 71. In the last four weeks, four BJP MLAs have switched to the TMC.
While re-joining the ruling TMC, Soumen said that his heart and soul was with TMC even when he was in BJP.
The BJP MLA from Kaliaganj was earlier a member of the TMC. "BJP MLA Soumen Roy is rejoining us for the development of Bengal and North Bengal," TMC leader Partha Chatterjee said.
Earlier this week, two more MLAs Biswajit Das, Tanmoy Ghosh and party councilor Manotosh left the saffron party and defected to Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress.
Notably, the Election Commission announced earlier in the day that bypoll to the Bhabanipur assembly seat in West Bengal, from where Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee plans to contest, would be held on September 30.
Polling for three "deferred adjourned" elections -- in two assembly seats of West Bengal and one of Odisha -- will also be held on September 30.
Elections in these seats -- Samserganj and Jangirpur in West Bengal and Pipli in Odisha -- could not be held due to various reasons, including the death of candidates during electioneering earlier this year.
Counting on all four seats will take place on October 3. EC said it has kept "much stricter" norms as an abundant caution to safeguard from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bhabanipur bypoll will allow Mamata Banerjee a chance to become a member of the state legislative assembly.
Banerjee had moved out of her traditional seat in Kolkata's Bhabanipur to fight in Nandigram during the Assembly polls earlier this year but lost to his former close aide Suvendu Adhikari who contested on a BJP ticket.
Adhikari is now the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.
(With agency inputs)
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