The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) strength in the West Bengal assembly fell to 73 on Monday when Tanmay Ghosh, who won the Bishnupur seat in Bankura district in the March-April polls, joined the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
While Ghosh did not give a direct reply on whether he will resign from the assembly to avoid action under anti-defection law, education minister Bratya Basu, who inducted him in the party, said, “Everything will be done according to rules.”
“I invite people’s representatives from all parties to join the TMC and be a part of the mammoth development and social welfare projects taken up by Mamata Banerjee. Her dedication and performance drew me towards the TMC,” Ghosh said.
This is the second defection by an Opposition MLA since the polls earlier this year in which the BJP won 77 seats.
Before Ghosh, Mukul Roy, who was a BJP national vice-president, returned to the TMC on June 11. But the legislator from Krishnanagar North has not resigned from the BJP till now and has been appointed the chairman of the assembly’s public accounts committee.The BJP has sought his disqualification under anti-defection law.
Discussion about this post