Former BJP Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra joins Trinamool Congress

Former Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra along with six other political leaders has joined the Trinamool Congress, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Saturday.

It was speculated that Mitra, a BJP national leader, would join the TMC after he had resigned from the NDA. The Live Mirror had even reported of the same on July 18.

Mitra – who was not happy with the functioning of BJP party and the dealing of issues like increasing the MSP, mob lynching cases, women’s safety in the country and Kairana bypoll defeat – had resigned from the party a couple of days ago.

Congress were also in-talks with the experienced politician and an owner of a Delhi based English Newspaper. But Mitra has joined the West Bengal leaders.

Also Read: Chandan Mitra likely to join TMC after leaving BJP

The other political members who has joined are former CPM MP Moinul Hasan, Samar Mukherjee, Abu Taher, Sabina Yasmin and Akhruzzman of the Congress and Mizoram’s advocate-general Biswajit Deb.

Meanwhile, TMC celebrated their party’s annual Martyrs’ Day rally in Esplanade, Kolkata. People from different corners of the state had gathered at the rally location since dawn to hear the party chief talk about her strategy for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

“We will start ‘BJP hatao, desh bachao‘ campaign on August 15. 2019 will be a big blow, Bengal will show the path,” said Banerjee after introducing the new members of the party.

Also Read: Upset with Modi-Shah joint, Chandan Mitra quits BJP

At least 6,000 police personnel, around five watch towers near Victoria House at Esplanade, three Quick Response Team (QRT), Heavy Radio Flying Squads (HRFS) teams, four teams of Kolkata police’s Reserve Force, 100 CCTVs, 8 trauma care ambulances, Sub-control room, bomb squads personnel and dog squads, have been deployed to prevent any untoward incident, reported PTI.