In what could spell more trouble for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP leader Mukul Roy on Wednesday claimed that over 100 legislators of the ruling Trinamool Congress are in touch with the saffron party. His claim came on the second day of mass exodus of TMC leaders to the BJP, leaving the leadership of Mamata Banerjee's party jittery.
On Wednesday, TMC MLA Monirul Islam joined the BJP, the third legislator to desert Mamata's party after the reverses in the Lok Sabha polls. Several other TMC workers also joined the saffron party in New Delhi in the presence of Mukul Roy and another BJP leader Kailash Vijaywargiya.
Two Trinamool legislators, including Mukul Roy's son Subhrangshu Roy and Tusharkanti Bhattacharya, and over 50 councillors, had joined the BJP on Tuesday. CPI(M) MLA Debendra Nath Roy had also joined the saffron brigade on Tuesday.
According to an NDTV report, Mukul Roy claimed that over 100 TMC legislators are in touch with the saffron party. Arjun Singh, who recently switched from the TMC to the BJP, also had raised similar claims two days ago.
On Tuesday, while inducting the MLAs into the party, Vijaywargiya had promised a seven-round induction of TMC leaders into the BJP, to match with the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections.
The TMC, however, claimed in a tweet that its MLAs and councillors were forced at gunpoint to join the BJP. The BJP has been making an all out effort to consolidate its position in West Bengal where the party is in a bitter loggerheads with Mamata Banerjee.
In the recently held general elections the TMC fell to 22 seats from 34, while the BJP's tally zoomed to 18 from two.
