Exodus from TMC continues as desertion marks new trend in West Bengal polls

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The exodus of MLAs from Trinamool Congress (TMC) continued with two ministers recently joining the BJP. In a fresh setback to Mamata Banerjee heading to the West Bengal assembly elections, Trinamool Congress’ Sarala Murmu is set join the BJP today despite getting a ticket from the Habibpur constituency.

Murmu, a former Malda Zilla Parishad sabhadhipati from Habibpur, was a new name in the TMC candidate list announced on March 5. Her switch to the BJP heralds a new trend as this is the first case of a TMC member who got a ticket shifting to the BJP, which till now was only poaching candidates left out by the Trinamool.

Elsewhere, Sonali Guha, once a close aide of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and a four-time MLA of the party, on Sunday said she will join the BJP, two days after being denied a ticket for the upcoming assembly polls in West Bengal.

Ms Guha told reporters she was requested by BJP national vice president Mukul Roy to join the saffron party at its Hastings office in Kolkata on Monday.

“I have been asked by Mukulda to come to the Hastings office tomorrow at 1 pm and will join the BJP there,” she said.

The former deputy speaker of the West Bengal assembly said that she had never thought such a day would come in her life but was compelled to take the decision.