Leaders gone, frustrated TMC workers from Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman join Congress

Frustrated with the consecutive quitting of their party presidents in the twin Bardhaman districts within a week, Trinamool Congress (TMC) grassroot members have now started deserting the Mamata Banerjee-led party and joining the Congress in its place.

As many as 150 TMC members from different villages in Bidbihar Gram Panchayat in the Kanksa block of Paschim Bardhaman sided with the Congress in the presence of party’s district president Debesh Chakraborty on Sunday.

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“Many of the TMC supporters and members who are falling victims to the ensuing ‘egg-therapy’ unleashed by the ruling party are getting frustrated amid the present leadership crisis in ‘dismantled’ TMC. So, they are trying to find shelter in Congress,” Chakraborty said.

The situation of the common TMC members both in Purba and Paschim Bardhaman worsened after the reappointed presidents of both the districts, Rabindranath Chatterjee and Narendranath Chakraborty refused to continue citing ‘health issues’, but met Leader of Oppostion and rebel TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee in the state Assembly on Friday.

“Who’ll protect us? Every alternate day our party men were being subjected to assault or abuse, but the TMC leaders are busy to find safe harbours for themselves. So, we chose to shift,” TMC deserters Sheikh Imtiaz and Saidul Islam, residents of Jathgoria village said.