About 2K BJP workers join TMC in Titagarh

Kolkata: In a major setback for the saffron camp around 2,000 BJP workers, including the election agent of slain BJP leader Manish Shukla's father and a mandal president from Titagarh in North 24-Parganas, joined Trinamool Congress on Sunday.

According to political analysts this can be considered as a major blow for BJP's Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh with crucial leaders of his party joining Trinamool Congress.

This comes when Singh has been made the observer of his party for Bhowanipore by poll.

Trinamool Congress claimed that 2000 BJP workers joined the state's rulling party on Sunday. Manish Shukla's father Chandramani Shukla was BJP's candidate in the last Assembly elections. His election agent Raju Shaw on Sunday joined Trinamool Congress to be a part of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's initiative for an overall development of the state.

A mandal president of Titagarh Bikash Singha also joined Trinamool Congress on Sunday.

BJP, however, alleged that they have forced these people to join Trinamool Congress.

The situation is quite similar in other districts as well where thousands of BJP workers joined Trinamool Congress after witnessing the development undertaken by the state government.