Veteran 85-year-old and four-time Shibpur MLA Jotu Lahiri, Sankrail MLA Sital Sardar and former footballer and Basirhat (South) MLA Dipendu Biswas joined BJP today.
All India Trinamool Congress. (Photo: Facebook/@AITCofficial)
After Trinamul supremo Mamata Banerjee declared candidates in 291 seats on 5 March, introducing several new faces and precluding many conventional ones who grew tearful and disgruntled, they decided to join BJP today.
Former Satgachia MLA Sonali Guha, who had been a long-time associate of Miss Banerjee since the inception of TMC, and is a four-time MLA today joined BJP at their election office in Hastings. She had lamented Miss Banerjee didn’t consult her before denying her ticket. Veteran 85-year-old and four-time Shibpur MLA Jotu Lahiri, Sankrail MLA Sital Sardar and former footballer and Basirhat (South) MLA Dipendu Biswas joined BJP today.
Eighty years old Singur MLA Rabindranath Bhattacharya, who had earned the epithet of ‘master moshai’ and a revered figure, also joined the BJP. He was known to be instrumental during the Singur movement fighting against land acquisition from farmers for a proposed Tata project.
Advertisement
BJP state president and MP Dilip Ghosh, party’s national vice-president Mukul Roy and former state minister Suvendu Adhikari handed them the party’s flag.
Hours after TMC Habibpur candidate Sarala Murmu was replaced by a new TMC candidate, Pradeep Baskey, reportedly due to failing health also joined BJP. She was stifled from working by TMC leaders, she alleged. There were speculations earlier that she might join BJP since she didn’t get her desired seat.Tollywood actor Tanusree Charkaborty today joined BJP.“I have spend 32 valuable years of my life with Mamata and in return got this (refusal of ticket). It is painful for me,” she said. Bhattacharya said, “I have joined BJP and waiting to get the next command from party. TMC gave an excuse of my age but I am fit to work as BJP’s soldier”.
Biswas, a first-time MLA, said, “I want to work for BJP”.
Meanwhile, Ghosh said BJP has taken control of the 38- member Malda Zila Parishad after its 22 members today joined the saffron camp.
Advertisement
