After Mukul Roy, BJP MLA Tanmay Ghosh joins Trinamool Congress
While Tanmay Ghosh did not give a direct reply on whether he will resign from the assembly to avoid action under anti-defection law, education minister Bratya Basu, who inducted him in the party, said, “Everything will be done according to rules”
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) strength in the West Bengal assembly fell to 73 on Monday when Tanmay Ghosh, who won the Bishnupur seat in Bankura district in the March-April polls, joined the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
While Ghosh did not give a direct reply on whether he will resign from the assembly to avoid action under anti-defection law, education minister Bratya Basu, who inducted him in the party, said, “Everything will be done according to rules.”
“I invite people’s representatives from all parties to join the TMC and be a part of the mammoth development and social welfare projects taken up by Mamata Banerjee. Her dedication and performance drew me towards the TMC,” Ghosh said.
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This is the second defection by an Opposition MLA since the polls earlier this year in which the BJP won 77 seats.
Before Ghosh, Mukul Roy, who was a BJP national vice-president, returned to the TMC on June 11. But the legislator from Krishnanagar North has not resigned from the BJP till now and has been appointed the chairman of the assembly’s public accounts committee.The BJP has sought his disqualification under anti-defection law.
Earlier, two other BJP MLAs did not take oath but resigned to retain their Lok Sabha seats, bringing down the party’s tally in the 294-member assembly to 75.
The TMC bagged 213 seats. Polls were held in 292 seats as two candidates died in Murshidabad district before the elections. The Left and Congress could not win any seat.
“The BJP has no base at the grassroots level in Bengal. Everything is superficial. It could have never won 200 seats. The leaders were only making loud noises. Those who won, did so because of their own strength and charisma,” Ghosh said.
Ghosh’s absence will make no difference to the BJP and the party will seek action against him under anti-defection law, said Bengal BJP’s chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya.
“Not all people are capable of handling the pressure Opposition leaders have to face. Ghosh gave in. He came from the TMC before the polls. This has no significance for us,” said Bhattacharya.
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