: On a day when Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi visited the city, Congress MLA from Malda district Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury joined the ruling Trinamool Congress here on Saturday.
Mr. Chowdhury said he was impressed with the developmental work done by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Mr Khan Chowdhury who hails from the family of A..B.A Khan Chowdhury, a Congress strongman from Malda district and former Railway Minister, is the 11th Congress MLA to join the TMC since the 2011 Assembly polls. Only a few days ago Congress MLA Rabindranath Chatterjee elected from Katwa in Bardhman district joined the TMC.
Mr Khan Chowdhury’s elder brother Abu Hashem Khan Chowdhury is the president of Malda District Congress Committee. Hours before his younger brother switched sides he shared stage with Congress vice President Rahul Gandhi.
“No other Chief Minister goes around visiting every district in the State supervising work like Ms. Banerjee. I did not leave the Congress due to any kind of differences with any party member. I want to be associated with a party which works for development in the State,” Mr. Chowdhury said.
He was inducted into the party by TMC MP and Ms. Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee at the party office.
Asked if Mr. Chowdhury was given any post within the party, Mr. Banerjee said the decision would be taken by Ms. Banerjee upon her arrival in the city from Bangladesh.
Slamming the Congress for ‘refusing to help Bengal’ when it was in power at the Centre, Mr. Banerjee said no party came forward when Ms. Banerjee was at the helm of people’s agitations in Singur and Nandigram.
“Nothing happened in Bengal for 34 years. Now the Opposition is saying no work is being done,” he added.
I did not leave the Congress due to any kind of differences with any party member.
Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury
