Bengal MLA's ghar wapsi to Trinamool; 3rd BJP leader to switch since Didi's win

Biswajit Das, had won twice from Bongaon Uttar assembly constituency on Trinamool Congess ticket in 2011 and 2016 state polls, before joining the BJP in 2019.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Bengal's Bagda assembly constituency, Biswajit Das left for Trinamool Congress camp on Tuesday. He is the third BJP leader to switch camp to the ruling Trinamool Congress after the Mamata Banerjee-led party's thumping victory in the assembly polls held earlier this year.

Biswajit Das had joined the BJP in the presence of the party's national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya in June 2019. (HT/file photo)

Das's exit from BJP came a day after Bishnupur MLA Tanmoy Ghosh went back to Trinamool Congress, and after political heavyweight Mukul Roy's return in June. All three of them had ditched the Trinamool Congress for BJP before the assembly elections.

Mukul Roy is a prominent face in Bengal politics and his return to the Trinamool Congress, could prove to be a boon for Mamata Banerjee's party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Biswajit Das, who was earlier with Trinamool Congress, had joined the BJP in June 2019. He had won twice from Bongaon North assembly constituency on Trinamool Congess ticket in 2011 and 2016 assembly election.

Biswajit Das had courted controversy within his own party ahead of the assembly elections in Bengal earlier this year, when he accused the BJP of "blackmailing" the people of the powerful Matua community on the pretext of granting citizenship. Despite joining the BJP, Das was also seen touching the feet of chief minister Mamata Banerjee at the state assembly last February, giving rise to speculations that he could return to the Trinamool Congress.

With the exit of the three MLAs, the strength of the BJP in the 294-seat Bengal assembly came down to 72. Mamata Banerjee's party won 213 seats to secure a third-term in the West Bengal government.