New Delhi: In a much-speculated move, cricketer-turned-politician and former Congress leader Kirti Azad on Tuesday joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in presence of party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the national capital.
TMC National General Secretary and Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee was also present during Azad's induction into the party.
"We welcome him warmly and look forward to working together in this new journey!," TMC tweeted on its official Twitter handle.
"It makes me happy to say that under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, I'll work for the development of the nation. Today, a personality like her is needed in the country who can show the country the right direction," Azad said after joining TMC.
Sources close to news agency IANS said that Azad was feeling sidelined in the party and so decided to quit. The Congress leader fought the Lok Sabha polls on a Congress ticket, but could not win. He was earlier with the BJP, but left after differences with the leadership. Azad's wife is also active in Delhi politics.
Azad, a former cricketer, is the son of late Bihar Chief Minister Bhagwat Jha Azad
Azad - who is a three-time Lok Sabha MP from Bihar's Darbhanga seat - also praised TMC supremo as someone who can "fight for the country on the ground" and for providing India with "a new direction".
It looks like TMC is becoming a new home for the disgruntled Congress leaders who are upset with the style of functioning of the top leadership.
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.
Faleiro joined Trinamool on the heels of former Congress women wing president Sushmita Dev also joining Mamata's party.
Even the expelled Janata Dal (United) leader Pavan Varma joined TMC in Delhi this evening in the presence of Mamata Banerjee.
Pavan Varma was one of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's closest aides. He was sacked from the party in January last year over disagreements with Kumar over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).