Trinamool suffers another political jolt; 5 TMC leaders set to join BJP with supporters

In ar blow for Mamata Banerjee, five more Trinamool leers are set to join BJP on Wednesday along with ir supporters, report sources. This development comes after four ministers skipped cabinet meeting on Tuesday - including forest minister Rajib Banerjee, who has also called out party openly. TMC heavyweight Suvendu hikari, along with 6 MLAs, 1 MP, and 16 or grassroots leers joined saffron party's folds in presence of Home Minister Amit Shah's presence on Sunday in Midnapore.

Five TMC Netas joining BJP (as per sources):

• Dr. Narayan Chakraborty, Scientist 
• Sujit Pramanick, 2-time TMC Candidate, Gosaba Assembly
• Arup Chaudhuri, President, West Bengal Outdoor vertisement Association 
• Aveek Bose, vocate, High Court 
• Debjani Ganguly, Media Professional 
• Biswajit Sarkar, Baguihati Businessman

Asansol MLA Jitendra Tiwari does a U-turn; withdraws resignation, returns to Mamata's camp

TMC leers switching parties

Apart from hikari, Rabi-Ul-Islam (Legal visor of Asansol Municipal Corporation), Aparesh Santra (Vice President of Patashpur-2 Block), Silbhra Datta (TMC MLA from Barrackpore), Kabir-Ul-Islam (TMC mirity cell general secretary), Abhijit Acharya (Vice-President of Paschim Bardhaman),  Col Diptangshu Choudhury (South Bengal State Transport Corporation) and Banashri Maity (Uttar Kanthi MLA) quit TMC and skipped to BJP. Asansol civic body chief - Tiwari, who h recently slammed state government for depriving industrial town of Asansol of central funds for political reasons, quit party - but later returned to party folds, apologizing. Meanwhile, Rajib Banerjee who h openly said that loyal party workers in TMC are being "overlooked", has maintained that he is with Trinamool Congress.

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Suvendu quits TMC

On December 17, Suvendu hikari officially quit Trinamool party on Thursday. Tendering his resignation to TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, he h also quit from his MLA post - which has w been accepted by Speaker Biman Banerjee. hikari - mastermind of 2007 Nandigram agitation - holds influence in about 35 assembly constituencies in West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and Birbhum districts. He h been creating rumours for past few months by holding rallies t under Trinamool flag or its supremo - Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's posters, and h skipped cabinet meetings. After breakdown of talks, hikari resigned from cabinet post of Transport minister after quitting as Hooghly River Bridge Commission chairman, saying it was 'difficult to work in TMC'.

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BJP's Bengal battle

Meanwhile, saffron party is gearing for a tough battle in Bengal - aiming to attain more than 200 seats, while t fielding a CM face yet. BJP h alrey politically divided Bengal into five parts - rth Bengal, Rath Bang (South Western District), Nabwip, Medinipur and Kolkata, handpicking Shivprakash, Sunil Deodhar, Dushyant Gautam, Bhikubhai Dalsania, Ravindra Raju,  Vid Sonkar, Harish Dwivedi to ta work on booth levels in se regions. With over 65,000 booth committees and 14,000 Shakti Kendra constituted, BJP has appointed five veterans as central observers - with final call to be taken by Amit Shah. West Bengal goes to polls in April-May 2021, where Mamata Banerjee eyes a third consecutive term.

4 of Mamata Banerjee's ministers skip cabinet meeting; Rajib Banerjee next to quit TMC?