Another MLA quits TMC to join BJP; voices of discontentment grows louder in TMC

Desertions anddissidence continued to afflict the ruling Trinamool Congress,with another MLA joining the BJP on Wednesday while anotherelected representative publicly aired his grievances.

Arindam Bhattacharya, the MLA of Santipur in Nadiadistrict, met the BJP's national general secretary and Bengalminder Kailash Vijayvargiya in New Delhi and joined thesaffron camp at the party's national headquarters.

Bhattacharya had won the assembly election on aCongress ticket in 2016 and switched over to the TMC the nextyear.

After joining the BJP, he claimed that the state'syouth are not happy with the Mamata Banerjee government due tolack of jobs and industrialisation.

''West Bengal now wants to get identified with Modiji'sMantra of Atmanirbhar Bharat. We want an Atmanirbhar WestBengal,'' he said and alleged that he was not allowed to workin his area.

Bhattacharya joins the growing list of the TMC leadersand elected representatives who changed sides ahead of theassembly election due in April-May this year.

Reacting to the development, senior TMC MP Sougata Raysaid that Bhattachraya's desertion is good riddance.

''More the people like him leave the party, the betterit would be for us. He had come to the TMC from the Congress,and now he joined the BJP. It only shows his true colours,''Ray said.

The TMC received a major jolt last month during UnionHome Minister Amit Shah's rally at Midnapore, when in thebiggest desertion from the TMC on a single day, partyheavyweight Suvendu Adhikari and 34 other leaders, includingfive MLAs and an MP, switched over to the saffron camp.

Since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, in which the BJPbagged 18 seats in West Bengal, just four less than the TMC,and emerged as its challenger in the state, 15 MLAs and an MPof the TMC, three Left MLAs and and an equal number ofCongress legislators have joined the BJP.

However, none of them, except Suvendu Adhikari,resigned as member of the assembly.

Meanwhile, Uttarpara MLA Prabir Ghosal alleged thatrepair work of a key road in his constituency was not beingallowed by a section of party leaders to harm his pollprospects.

''I am not allowed to work properly in my area. Mysources told me that they are creating hurdles indevelopmental work in my area as they want me defeated in thenext election. A section of the (Hooghly) district unit isconspiring against me,'' he said.

The Kanaipur-Nabagram Road has been in a very badshape but his initiative to repair it is being foiled by agroup led by Kanaipur gram panchayat pradhan and local TMCleader Achhe Lal Yadav, the journalist turned politicianclaimed.

Terming Ghosal's allegations as baseless, Yadav said,''He is an ornamental MLA. He is issuing such statements onlyto show me in poor light.'' Party sources said Ghosal and TMC Hooghly districtpresident Dilip Yadav have been at loggerheads overorganisational matters.

Ghosal joins MLA Baishali Dalmiya, ministers RajibBanerjee and Sadhan Pande and several other TMC to voicegrievances about the way of functioning of party leaders.