About 3K workers from Cong & CPI(M) join TMC

Kolkata: A large number of rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders who fought Panchayat elections as independent candidates after being denied tickets by the party, are lining up to return to the party fold after its supremo Mamata Banerjee during a recent event in Netaji Indoor Stadium hinted at opening doors of the party as a tactical move ahead of Lok Sabha elections scheduled to take place next year.

Incidentally, in a major blow to the Opposition parties, around 3,000 workers from Congress and CPI(M) joined Trinamool Congress in Murshidabad’s Jangipur on Sunday. A huge rally was held by the ruling party in Suti-I block to protest against the Centre’s decision to stop paying dues to the state government under several projects.

The programme also turned out to be a platform for the other party workers to join Trinamool.

Sources within Trinamool Congress said that there may be an exodus in favour of TMC from December as a huge number of rebel leaders and many from the Opposition parties are lining up to join the ruling party in the state.

However, it is up to the party’s top brass if these leaders will be taken back to the party fold.

Sources said that many of these leaders who fought as independent candidates during Panchayat and civic body elections have appealed to their district leaders to return to the party.

The district leaders may send the list of the candidates to the party’s top brass for clearance.

Trinamool Congress chief during her address at Netaji Indoor Stadium recently said that there was no harm in inducting those political leaders who have a clean image in the locality. Banerjee also advised that the party’s state president Subrata Bakshi may be consulted before taking these leaders.

Trinamool Congress leaders, including its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on repeated occasions said that many BJP MLAs have been in touch with their party and the door will be opened at the right time.Political observers believe that Trinamool may see the joining of many leaders in December and January as Lok Sabha elections draw near.