Former BJP strongman Chandan Mitra, four Congress MLAs join TMC
What's the story
Former BJP MP Chandan Mitra, editor of The Pioneer, joined the Trinamool Congress today in presence of WB CM Mamata Banerjee.
Four Congress MLAs - Abu Taher, Akhruzzman, Sabina Yasmin and Samar Mukherjee - also accompanied him.
Their TMC membership was formalized at the party's annual mega Martyrs' Day rally in Kolkata.
Mitra quit the BJP earlier this week, reportedly unhappy over being sidelined.
BJP stint
Mitra had described his BJP candidacy as "accidental"
Mitra had contested the 2016 West Bengal assembly elections from the Hooghly seat on a BJP ticket. However, he had lost to a Trinamool Congress candidate.
He reportedly, in a first-person account, had described his nomination by the BJP as "accidental", explaining how he had sought advice from his "friend" Arun Jaitley about whether he should "take the plunge".
Information
In resignation letter, Mitra conveyed unhappiness about BJP's policies
Mitra was a prominent face of the BJP in Delhi circles, but never shied away from criticizing the party when he deemed fit. He also expressed dissatisfaction about some of BJP's policies in his resignation letter. Both TMC and Mitra had remained tight-lipped about the possibility of Mitra's joining.