Ashish Das and Rajib Banerjee likely to join TMC today

Kolkata : Former BJP MLA Ashish Das is likely to join TMC on October 31. He might join the TMC in the presence of party leader Abhishek Banerjee, who is expected to address a rally in Agartala later on Sunday. Trinamool Congress (TMC) turncoat Rajib Banerjee, who had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of West Bengal Assembly polls, is likely to rejoin the Mamata Banerjee-led party on Sunday.

Interestingly, the BJP had recently included Rajib Banerjee in the party’s newly-formed national executive as a special invitee.

Earlier this month, Ashish Das, who has been critical of Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, had shaved his head, saying he was performing an act of penance ahead of his induction into TMC.

Confirming the same, the rebel BJP MLA said, “I have 100 per cent faith in Abhishek Banerjee and Mamata Banerjee. I am joining (the party) in Abhishek Banerjee’s presence. I will work for TMC and they will come to power in the 2023 elections.”

Hitting out at BJP, Ashish Das added, “I won the 2015 Surma by-election and tasted victory again in 2018. People choose their representatives to work for them. But the BJP has not lived up to their commitments. The BJP is stopping people from doing work. For the last two years and even before joining TMC, I had protested against many things. Being in the BJP, I could not work for people.”

“Those who are in power cannot be respected. I want to ensure TMC’s victory in Tripura and they form the government here after removing the BJP. There is no discipline in BJP. We had faith in BJP but after coming into power, we realised they are not a cadre-based party,” he further said.

Including Das, three or four people are likely to join the party, which is slowly foraying into Tripura and hopes to defeat the BJP government led by Biplab Kumar Deb in the upcoming assembly polls.