Bengal TMC MLA, 2 other leaders join BJP

The number of Bengal MLAs switching allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rose to four on Wednesday with Moniral Islam, Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator from Labpur in Birbhum district, joining the saffron camp.

Along with Islam, former Trinamool MLA, Gadadhar Hazra, and two party leaders from Birbhum joined the BJP in New Delhi. “Trinamool leaders in Birbhum district are making crores of rupees by extortion and illegal coal business. The top leaders of the party are silent. As a mark of protest, I decided to join BJP,” Islam alleged in Delhi.

On Tuesday, three MLAs (two from the TMC and one from the Left), along with 56 TMC councillors from three civic bodies, joined the BJP. As a result, the control of Kanchrapara and Halisahar civic bodies passed on to the BJP. “The exodus has started. In the coming days, more TMC leaders will join BJP,” said BJP national general secretary, Kailash Vijayvargiya.

TMC chief whip Tapas Roy said the party was not worried by leaders switching sides. “In the 2021 Assembly elections, we will prove that people are with us.”

The two TMC leaders who joined were Md Asif Iqbal, general secretary of the district unit of TMC youth wing, and Nimai Das, a local party leader.