In a major blow to state BJP, around 350 of its activists including some leaders from West Midnapore on Sunday joined Trinamool Congress ahead of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to the district.
Trinamool Congress leaders in the district said that it is clear to these BJP leaders that the party has no future prospect in the state as it would never get mass support. After understanding the pulse of the people, the BJP leaders from the district have decided to join the ruling party that has taken up a wide range of development projects not only in the district but throughout the state.
The joining of senior BJP leaders and its affiliated organisations to the ruling party just ahead of Trinamool Congress supremo's visit to the district is being considered significant by political pundits.
The newly-inducted Trinamool Congress members said that they wanted to take part in the development works that have been initiated across the state by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The main purpose of joining the ruling party was to speed up the development works. A senior Trinamool Congress leader from the district said that people from across party lines were willing to join the Trinamool Congress as they have found that it is only the TMC that can work for the development of the state and also for its people. This has also strengthened the party's organisations in the area.
It may be mentioned here that in September last year, altogether 800 members from various political parties including BJP, KPP, RSP and CPI(M) joined the ruling party in the state under the Trinamool Congress' leadership at Dhupguri block.