New Delhi: Hours after former Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar Tuesday joined Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the national capital, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her desire to visit the state and defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) there.
"I want to go to Haryana. I will go there as soon as Ashok Tanwar (who joined TMC today) invites me. Defeating BJP is our top priority... Jai Hindustan, Jai Haryana, Jai Bangla, Jai Goa. Ram Ram!," Mamata said while speaking to reporters.
Tanwar had parted ways with Congress ahead of the 2019 Assembly polls after a bitter political fight with former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
He joined TMC earlier in the day in the presence of Mamata Banerjee after holding a meeting with his supporters in the national capital.
Several other leaders including cricketer-turned-politician and former Congress leader Kirti Azad on Tuesday joined the TMC in Delhi today in presence of party supremo.
Azad, a former cricketer, is the son of late Bihar Chief Minister Bhagwat Jha Azad.
Earlier Luizinho Faleiro, who was the former Chief Minister of Goa and close to Sonia Gandhi and was a working committee member of the party, joined Trinamool and was subsequently elected to the Rajya Sabha.
Expelled Janata Dal (United) leader Pavan Varma also joined TMC in Delhi this evening in the presence of Mamata Banerjee.
The induction of leaders from different political parties is being seen as a boost to the Trinamool Congress ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Banerjee is said to be slowly expanding her party's national footprint in order to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP in the next national elections.
The TMC supremo who arrived in Delhi on Monday is slated to be in the national capital till November 25 and is also likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and other leaders of Opposition.