Bengal leader Mainul Haque, who quit Congress, likely to join TMC today

Veteran Congress leader from West Bengal Mainul Haque, who resigned from the party on Tuesday, is likely to join the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday. Speaking to news agency PTI, Haque had said after resigning that he had sent the interim letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

“I want to fight the communal BJP in the state in a more apt manner and meet the aspirations of people whom I had represented in all these years,” Haque added.

During his time at the Congress, Haque was a five-time MLA from Farakka in the state’s Murshidabad district. He had also served as the secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Upon his resignation, Congress’ Bengal president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “I have nothing to say if someone wants to go.”

Though Haque refused to answer whether he would join the Trinamool, PTI reported that he is slated to join the TMC at an election meeting.

“We are ready to welcome Haque, a veteran politician, to our party fold. He will add more strength to our party in the district.” PTI quoted TMC MP Abu Taher Khan as saying.

Another TMC leader Tapas Roy said on Tuesday that leaders of the Congress were realising that they can’t fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre and its politics of hatred. Hence, Congress leaders are joining the TMC, which is the only party that can dislodge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah from power in the next Lok Sabha elections.

Mainul Haque’s resignation comes days after former Union minister and BJP leader Babul Supriyo joined the TMC last Saturday. He joined the ruling party in Bengal in the presence of its general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Derek O’Brien.

(With PTI inputs)