New Delhi: West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajib Banerjee on Sunday returned to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and said he “repents” for joining the saffron party ahead of the assembly polls despite being asked by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee not to leave.


Rajib Banerjee, a former minister in the West Bengal government, returned to the TMC at a rally of party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Agartala.


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Lambasting the BJP after returning to the TMC, Banerjee said that he “cannot accept the politics of hatred and divisive ideology propagated by” saffron party.


“I cannot accept the anti-people policies of the BJP,” he added.


Banerjee, who was named the BJP’s national executive committee member weeks ago and fought the assembly elections unsuccessfully from Domjur in Howrah district, said that he had often aired his opinion to the BJP leadership and criticized the personal attack and slander on the West Bengal Chief Minister “but no one listened”.


Stating that he left the TMC due to misunderstanding, Banerjee further said that he joined the BJP being swayed by its blitzkrieg ahead of the assembly elections.


“All these promises were lies and I cannot be a party to them anymore. I am sorry and repentant now. I will work under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee,” he said, PTI reported.


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Meanwhile, former BJP leader from Tripura, Ashish Das, also joined the TMC in Agartala.


Das, who had shaved his head, took a dip in the Ganga and offered prayers at a temple near the West Bengal Chief Minister’s house after resigning from the BJP earlier on October 5 , was inducted into the party in the presence of TMC national general secretary, ANI reported.


“Shri @RajibBanerjeeWB and Shri Ashish Das joined us in the presence of our National General Secretary Shri @abhishekaitc in Agartala, today. Glimpses from the event 👇🏼 #AbhishekBanerjeeInTripura,” All India Trinamool Congress tweeted.