Kolkata: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and two times Haldia MLA Tapasi Mondal defected to Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday in presence of TMC minister Aroop Biswas.
Notably, this was the second switch of Mondal as before joining the saffron camp, Mondal was in CPI (M).
Mondal was also said to be very close to Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
While defecting to the ruling party, Mondal said that she decided to change the party as according to her BJP is playing ‘divisive politics’.
“I have tried to say this within the party but the party kept on ignoring me so I have decided to join TMC to be a part of the development that TMC is doing for West Bengal. I wanted to serve the people of Haldia but I had no power to serve them. I didn’t get any help from the central government despite being a BJP MLA,” said the BJP MLA.
With Assembly election just a year away, TMC is hoping to win back East Midnapore, the home citadel of LoP Suvendu Adhikari.
Adhikari however, mentioned that people of Haldia will give a befitting reply if Mondal is made the TMC candidate in the 2026 Assembly elections.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, “Suvendu Adhikari is taking out rallies protesting Jadavpur University incident but couldn’t keep his party’s Haldia MLA in the party.”