Another BJP lawmaker in West Bengal returns to Trinamool

Kolkata, Aug 31 (IANS) The BJP MLAs in West Bengal are making a beeline to join the ruling Trinamool Congress. A day after Tanmoy Ghosh switched camps, BJP MLA from Bagda in North 24 Parganas, Biswajit Das followed suit on Tuesday.

In his remarks on the occasion, senior Trinamool leader Partha Chattopadhyay said: "People are willing to become a part of the development programme of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and so they are coming to join hands with the party and make it stronger than before."

"MLA from Bagda, Biswajit Das expressed his willingness to come back to the party and appealed to our MP and All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and finally he got the nod from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and it was decided that he should be taken back to the party again," Chatterjee added.

Das, who left the party before the election and won from Bagda assembly constituency on a BJP ticket, said: "It was a mistake and the decision (to leave Trinamool Congress) was taken on the basis of factors that were not correct. Now I can understand that there is no room for work in the Bharatiya Janata Party and so I decided to come back to my old party again."

Asked why he was leaving the BJP, the two-time MLA, after taking the party flag from Chatterjee, said: "You all know what is happening in the BJP. One leader is making Facebook posts against another leader, they are making bad comments on digital platforms and in true sense, there is no environment for work".

"I am a people's representative and I want to work for the people and so if I don't get the scope for work, then there is no point staying in the party. In Trinamool Congress, no one will stop me if I want to work and here work is the main criterion and so I decided to come back to Trinamool Congress," Das added.

Two former party members - Monotosh Nath and Subrata Pal - rejoined with Das.

On Monday, Ghosh, the BJP MLA from Bishnupur in Bankura district, rejoined the Trinamool, alleging that the internal differences in the BJP are so strong that there is no place for doing any developmental work.

Asked about it, BJP state President Dilip Ghosh said: "They are being threatened and scared and are forced to leave the party. This will not go for long."