Trouble continues to mount for the West Bengal chief minister as the MLA exodus continues. After 3 West Bengal MLAs shunned their respective parties to join hands with the BJP yesterday, today another TMC lawmaker Manirul Islam has officially joined the saffron party in presence of BJP leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya and Mukul Roy.
Along with Manirul Islam, president of TMC’s youth wing Gadadhar Hazra, the secretary of the same unit Mohammad Asif Iqbal and TMC leader Nimai Das have also switched sides to join the BJP.
Trinamool Congress MLA Manirul Islam joins Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi. TMC’s Gadadhar Hazra, Mohd Asif Iqbal and Nimai Das also join BJP. pic.twitter.com/Y2rOILuZ2f
— ANI (@ANI) May 29, 2019
Yesterday, after TMC’s Shubrangshu Roy, Tushar Kanti Bhattacharjee (Bishnupur) from Congress and the CPI(M)’s Debendra Nath Roy joined the BJP along with over 50 councillors in state, BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya had said that it was not due to horse trading but due to the change of heart that the MLAs and councillors have chosen to side with the BJP.
Kailash had then said that it was just a start and that more West Bengal MLAs and leaders are expected to shun their political parties and enrol themselves in the BJP.
Taking a swipe at the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, Mukul Roy who welcomed Manirul Islam into the BJP fold said that if she is saying that those who joined the BJP are from the left and the Congress, it is just a face-saving exercise. Roy has also claimed that more than 100 Trinamool legislators were in touch with the BJP.
TMC MLA Manirul Islam, Gadadhar Hazra, Mohd Asif Iqbal and Nimai Das also join @BJP4India. “If @MamataOfficial says those who have joined were from Left and congress, it is mere face saving exercising,” says @MukulR_Official pic.twitter.com/No13ASXI7z
— Pragya Kaushika (@pragyakaushika) May 29, 2019
After a spectacular performance put up by the Narendra Modi-led NDA alliance at the centre and winning 18 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal out of the total 42 seats, speculations were rife that many MLAs and disgruntled local leaders in TMC might switch over to the BJP, releasing that the saffron party is indeed making deep inroads in the state.
