New Delhi/Kolkata: Three MLAs from West Bengal, including Trinamool Congress-turned-BJP leader Mukul Roy’s son Subhrangshu Roy, along with more than 60 councillors on Tuesday joined the BJP here in the presence of BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya who said more TMC leaders will join the saffron party soon.
The other two MLAs are Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya from Bishnupur (Trinamool) and Debendra Roy from Hemtabad (CPI-M).
The dramatic development followed the shock reverses suffered by the Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 18 of the 42 seats — from just two won in 2014.
Subhrangshu Roy, a two-term MLA from Bijpur constituency, was suspended from the Trinamool Congress for making anti-party comments. Apart from Vijayvargiya, Mukul Roy also welcomed the West Bengal leaders amid cries of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Jai Shri Ram”.
“The way Bengal is going under the leadership of Vijayvargiya, all the TMC people will join the BJP,” Mukul Roy said. “From June 1 or 2, you will see the queue of MLAs (willing to join the BJP).”
While campaigning in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that 40 MLAs from the Trinamool Congress were in touch with him.
Reacting to Modi’s claim, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’ Brien had boasted: “Nobody will go with you. Not even one councillor.”
Vijayvargiya said: “Today over 50 councillors and three MLAs are here (at the BJP office). We will do a seven-phase programme of joining, just like the state saw the elections in seven phases.”
‘Rats abandoning ship’
The TMC on Tuesday likened its MLAs who have joined the BJP on Tuesday to “rats abandoning a ship sensing danger” and said people will give them a befitting reply.
A senior TMC leader said, “We will expel them from the party. Subhrangshu is already under suspension. We are not bothered about such opportunists. People will give them a befitting reply.” “If some of the leaders join the BJP just because it has won a few seats, they are nothing, but rats who abandon a ship sensing danger. It is good that they have left our party,” senior TMC leader and minister Firhad Hakim said. Another TMC leader Jyotipriyo Mullick said the party is looking into the development.
Mukul Roy is seen to be instrumental in engineering the defection of TMC leaders to the BJP. (Agencies)
