Two MLAs ditch Congress for Trinamul

Kolkata: Two Congress MLAs from Nadia defected to the Trinamul Congress on Wednesday, dealing a major blow to the state Congress on the eve of the panchayat elections, which is scheduled for next year in the state. They are Shankar Singh, the MLA of Ranaghat North-West and Arindam Bhattacharya, the MLA of Shantipur.

According to sources, the names of three more Congress MLAs are doing the rounds as the probables to switch to the Trinamul. They are Dulal Bar, the MLA from Bagda in North 24 Parganas and two MLAs from Murshidabad: Apurba Sarkar of Kandi and Moinul Haque of Farakka, sources indicated, saying they may join the ruling party next month before the Rajya Sabha elections.

In the afternoon, Mr Singh and Mr Bhattacharya joined chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s party at the Trinamul Bhavan in the city in the presence of Ms Banerjee’s nephew and Trinamul MP Abhishek Banerjee and Trinamul secretary general Partha Chatterjee. Mr Banerjee handed over the Trinamul flag to both.

He later made the announcement of Mr Singh and Mr Bhattacharya joining the ruling party. He informed that Mr Bhattacharya has been appointed the president of Trinamul Youth Congress while Mr Singh has been given the role of working president in Nadia of the party. Expressing her faith in Ms Banerjee’s leadership, Mr Singh praised her role in tackling the unrest in Darjeeling.

He claimed he did not join the Trinamul for his own interest. Quting former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Mr Singh said, “On October 30 in 1984 she vowed to protect the unity and diversity of the country with her blood. Today, Ms Banerjee is saying the same to protect Darjeeling from getting separated from Bengal.”

Mr Bhattacharya, who earlier came under attack from a gang of miscreants allegedly backed by the Trinamul clarified that he still had the injury marks which he however attributed to the “miscreants only”. Bantering the strength of the Congress, Mr Banerjee said, “Trinamul has now 221 MLAs. The Congress is reduced to 36 MLAs from 41 MLAs. There is another big surprise in the waiting. Samajhdaro Ke Liye Ishare Hi Kaafi Hain...”

In a sarcastic note aimed at leader of the Opposition and Congress MLA Abdul Mannan, Mr Chatterjee echoed him and told mediapersons, “Ask Mr Mannan when he is leaving the Congress. His time has come. Now he will have to lose the post of the leader of the Opposition!”

Comments of Mr Banerjee and Mr Chatterjee have triggered a strong speculation about further damage to the state Congress in future.

State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury sounded undeterred. “They won under the Congress banner. I and the party as a whole campaigned for them. Like all the Congress workers worked tirelessly for their victory, the people elected them with their votes. Now it’s their duty that they will do. There is a political duty. But they defected due to vested interests to become promoters and contractors.”