In a major blow to Mamata Banerjee ahead of the upcoming West Bengal elections, former West Bengal minister Rajib Banerjee, hours after quitting the Trinamool Congress, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday. ALSO READ | Battle For Bengal: Hours After Quitting As MLA & Days After Quitting Mamata Cabinet, Rajib Banerjee Resigns From TMC
According to the reports, former Trinamool Congress leaders Rajib Banerjee, Baishali Dalmiya, Prabir Ghoshal, actor Rudranil Ghosh and former Howrah mayor Rathin Chakraborty met Union home minister Amit Shah at his house in the national capital on Saturday and then joined the saffron camp.
"Former TMC leaders Mr. Rajib Banerjee, Ms. Baishali Dalmiya, Mr. Prabir Ghoshal, Mr. Rathin Chakraborti and Mr. Rudranil Ghosh joined BJP today in New Delhi. I am sure their induction will further strengthen BJP’s fight for Sonar Bangla," Shah tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Former TMC leaders Mr. Rajib Banerjee, Ms. Baishali Dalmiya, Mr. Prabir Ghoshal, Mr. Rathin Chakraborti and Mr. Rudranil Ghosh joined BJP today in New Delhi. I am sure their induction will further strengthen BJP’s fight for Sonar Bangla. <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/india/tamil-nadu-election-2021-bjp-president-jp-nadda-announces-alliance-with-aiadmk-in-tamil-nadu-1441813">pic.twitter.com/twXrHXWCbY</a></p>— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) <a >January 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Reacting upon the latest round of defections, senior BJP leader Kailash Vijaywargiya said, "People are realising only BJP can do development here. TMC workers & people of Bengal are realising the TMC has only swindled people till now. We hope that under the leadership of PM Modi, BJP will constitute a govt here & make 'Sonar Bangla' come true."
Rajib Banerjee, who had resigned from the Domjur assembly seat in Howrah on Friday, said, "I've told the Home Minister that the people of West Bengal are suffering from hopelessness. The law and order situation needs to be improved in the state. Industries need to be set up so that the youth can have employment. I have also said that a special package is needed for Bengal."
It will be an honour if the party is able to assume power in the state of West Bengal and will focus on the development of the state in a very targetted manner, the former TMC MLA added, as quoted by news agency ANI.
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It is worth mentioning that Dalmiya, daughter of former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, is the sitting MLA from Bally in Howrah and, was recently expelled by the TMC. She used to be a CPI(M) supporter during the Left era and switched over to the TMC after Mamata Banerjee came to power.
While Rathin Chakraborty is the former mayor of Howrah town, Prabir Ghosal is the MLA from Uttarpara in Hooghly district.