Rajib Banerjee, other disgruntled TMC leaders join BJP in Delhi ahead of assembly polls

A day after quittingthe Trinamool Congress, former West Bengal minister RajibBanerjee joined the BJP in New Delhi on Saturday along with afew other disgruntled leaders of the state's ruling party inpresence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Banerjee and MLAs Prabir Ghosal and Baishali Dalmiya,who was expelled from the TMC a few days ago, former HowrahMayor Rathin Chakraborty and actor Rudranil Ghosh flew to thenational capital on a special plane from Kolkata, and metcentral BJP leaders.

They have joined the BJP, party general secretary andthe party's Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya told PTIfollowing the meeting.

Later, Shah tweeted, ''Former TMC leaders Mr. RajibBanerjee, Ms. Baishali Dalmiya, Mr. Prabir Ghoshal, Mr. RathinChakraborti and Mr. Rudranil Ghosh joined BJP today in NewDelhi. I am sure their induction will further strengthen BJP'sfight for Sonar Bangla.'' BJP national vice-president Mukul Roy andVijayvargiya arrived in Delhi with them.

''Kailash Ji and I are at the Hon'ble HM Shri Amit ShahJi's residence with former TMC leaders,'' Roy tweeted welcomingthe new entrants into the saffron party.

The TMC, which has been facing dissent from a numberof leaders ahead of the assembly election due in April-May,said that those who are leaving do not have a long politicalhistory and they will fail to create much impact.

Earlier on December 19, in the biggest single-dayexodus from the TMC, political heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari,along with 35 party leaders, including five MLAs and an MP,had joined the BJP during Amit Shah's rally in Medinipur.

Rajib Banerjee earlier in the day said he had a wordwith Union Home Minister Amit Shah who called him to thenational capital.

''After I resigned from the TMC, I received a call fromthe BJP leadership.... Amit Shah ji told me to come over toDelhi. He also requested me to pass on the information to fiveother important public figures who wanted to serve people in abetter way to accompany me.

''If I get an assurance on the state's development, ifI get an assurance that I can work for the betterment ofpeople, I will join the BJP,'' he told reporters at the Kolkataairport.

When asked what role does he expect to play in theBJP, Banerjee said it is for the party to decide.

''I want to work for the people. So whatever role isassigned to me, I will accept,'' he said.

Instead of mudslinging at each other, the Centre andthe West Bengal government should work together for the peopleof the state, the suave 47-year-old leader said.

Actor Rudranil Ghosh, who has recently been voicinghis discontent over the issue of governance in Bengal andalleged corruption in the distribution of monetarycompensation to Cyclone Amphan-affected people last year, saidhe wants to work for people and play an important role in thestate in future.

Uttarpara MLA Prabir Ghosal recently alleged thatrepair of a road in his constituency was not being allowed bya faction of the party to harm his poll prospects.

According to BJP sources, these TMC leaders weresupposed to join the saffron party during Union Home MinisterAmit Shah's rally at Dumurjula in Howrah on Sunday. However,Shah's two-day visit to West Bengal was cancelled at the lastminute.

The ruling TMC in West Bengal was rocked by a freshbout of desertions on Friday with Banerjee quitting the partyand several other leaders rallying behind him.

Reacting to the development, senior TMC MP and partyspokesperson Sougata Ray said, ''Those who left don't have along political history and most of them were inducted into theparty by Mamata Banerjee. In future, the TMC will be careful.'' Another senior TMC leader and minister SubrataMukherjee said, ''What can we do if anyone wants to go? Ours isa big party. We cannot prevent dissenters by deployingmilitary. But they will fail to create much impact.

TMC minister Jyotipriyo Mallick said that it has to beseen how these leaders fare in the polls if they decide tocontest.

''We are none without Mamata Banerjee. We had beencontesting elections in her name,'' he said.

Veteran CPI(M) leader and West Bengal Left Frontchairman Biman Bose claimed that there is little differencebetween the TMC and the BJP and both lack ethics.