Haldia MLA Tapasi Mondal joins Trinamool Congress

Kolkata: In a significant setback to the Bengal BJP, its Haldia MLA Tapasi Mondal, a lieutenant of Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, joined the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday.

Trinamool Congress said the joining of Mondal is a testament to the “growing disillusionment” with BJP’s politics.

Mondal’s defection could weaken the BJP’s organisation in Haldia, a port town in East Midnapore.

She joined the Trinamool Congress at its headquarters in Kolkata in the presence of senior Trinamool Congress leader and state Power minister Aroop Biswas.

After joining TMC, Mondal said: “I decided to be a part of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s developmental initiatives. The BJP is trying to flare up communal tensions in the state. It is pursuing divisive politics, and the people of this state have repeatedly rejected it. It was getting tough for me to accept such politics.”

“Though the BJP has been in power at the Centre, I failed to carry out development in my constituency and the unemployment issue could not be addressed. Development for the local people can only be possible under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee and employment can be given to the local youths,” Mondal added further.

Trinamool Congress in a post on X welcomed Mondal and said: “Welcoming BJP’s Haldia MLA Tapasi Mondal to the Trinamool Congress family! Her decision to join us is a testament to the growing disillusionment with BJP’s politics. Under the leadership of Smt.@MamataOfficial, she will work tirelessly for the people’s welfare.” Mondal won the Haldia seat as a Congress-supported CPI(M) candidate in the 2016 Assembly polls. She joined the BJP along with Adhikari in December 2020 just months ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections. Mondal is not the first BJP legislator to join Trinamool Congress.

After the BJP won 77 seats in the 294-member Assembly in the 2021 elections, its 12 MLAs joined the ruling party.

Suvendu Adhikari on Mondal’s defection said: “People will reject such political opportunists. Not a single BJP worker has joined Trinamool Congress along with her.”