In yet another setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, a party MLA on Sunday joined the Trinamool Congress.
Suman Kanjilal, who represents Alipurduar seat in north Bengal, joined the Trinamool Congress in the presence of party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at the latter’s office in Kolkata. Mr. Kanjilal was elected on a BJP ticket in the 2021 Assembly polls. The MLA had differences with a section of BJP leaders including Alipurduar MP John Barla. Mr. Kanjilal said that he was unable to work for the people as a Member of the BJP Legislature.
Since the 2021 Assembly polls over half a dozen BJP MLAs have defected to the Trinamool Congress. With the defection of the MLA, three MLAs from north Bengal have defected to the Trinamool. Earlier two MLAs from north Bengal Krishn Kalyani from the Raiganj Assembly seat and Soumen Roy from the Kaliaganj Assembly seat had defected to the State’s ruling party.
The BJP has relatively better influence in north Bengal, and the defection of the MLA ahead of the panchayat polls, assumes political significance. Sources in the Trinamool have claimed that a number of other MLAs of the BJP are in touch with the party leadership. Interestingly, none of the MLAs who have defected to the State’s ruling party since 2011, have lost their Assembly membership.
The Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had given hints of defection when he said that the party will open its door a little before rural polls.
Two killed in blast at Birbhum
Meanwhile, two persons including the brother of a Trinamool Congress gram pradhan were killed after a blast in Margram in Birbhum district. The blast occurred late on Saturday night. One person died in the blast on Saturday while the other succumbed to injuries at the State-run hospital on Sunday. Over the past few weeks, crude bomb explosions have been reported in different parts of the State.
After the blast, Birbhum Superintendent of Police Narendra Nath Tripathi was transferred. Bhaskar Mukherjee will be the new SP of Birbhum.
