Dinesh Trivedi, former Trinamool Congress MP, joins BJP

Dinesh Trivedi's move follows his recent resignation from Rajya Sabha

Dinesh Trivedi joined the BJP in the presence of its president J.P. Nadda. Photo: Twitter/@BJP4India

Former Union Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Dinesh Trivedi on Saturday joined the BJP, less than a month after he announced his resignation from the Rajya Sabha on February 12.

Mr. Trivedi, who joined the party in the presence of BJP president J.P. Nadda at the headquarters here, said this was the “golden moment that I was waiting for”.

Recounting his experience in the TMC, without naming the party, he said “there, the other party, one family is served”, but in the BJP, he added, the public was served.

He said the people of Bengal told him they were tired of corruption and violence; whether it was neighbours or strangers, everyone would complain to him about the corruption and violence by “your people”, referring to the TMC.

Also read: TMC MP Dinesh Trivedi announces resignation from Rajya Sabha

“What Bengal thinks today, the rest of the country thinks, or maybe the rest of the world thinks tomorrow. Today, people of Bengal are very happy that real change is going to happen,” he said, referring to the upcoming election in the State.

While welcoming Mr. Trivedi, Mr. Nadda said he used to tell the former Railways Minister that he was “the right person in the wrong party”, and now that had changed.

“Now the right person is in the right party. He has always paid the price for principles,” Mr. Nadda said.

He added that the two of them met about two months ago and Mr. Trivedi had said he wanted to “serve the nation” and did not talk of the party.

Mr. Nadda said Mr. Trivedi would have an active role in the West Bengal election and his move to the BJP was a victory of “idealism over opportunism”.