Kolkata: BJP Lok Sabha MP Soumitra Khan has claimed that a large group of Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators and MPs are prepared to join the BJP, triggering fresh political speculation in West Bengal.
Khan said 50 TMC MLAs and 20 MPs were unhappy with party chief Mamata Banerjee and were ready to switch sides. He also alleged that several senior TMC functionaries were waiting for clearance from the BJP leadership to make the move.
The remarks come after the recent West Bengal Assembly election in which the BJP won 208 of 294 seats and formed the government for the first time, with senior leader Suvendu Adhikari taking oath as Chief Minister. The TMC, which had been in power, secured 80 seats, and Mamata Banerjee reportedly lost from her own Bhabanipur constituency.
Khan further alleged wrongdoing by Mamata Banerjee’s relative Abhishek Banerjee during the previous regime and claimed he would soon face jail. Meanwhile, TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar announced she was stepping down from all party responsibilities.
TMC leaders rejected Khan’s claims. Lok Sabha MP Saugata Roy said the BJP MP was spreading deliberate rumours and insisted that TMC’s MLAs and MPs remained aligned with the party leadership.
