TMC MLA Jitendra Tiwari joins BJP

Elections to the 294-member state assembly will be held in eight phases between March 27 and April 29

The trend of defection from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to the BJP in West Bengal continued as yet another TMC MLA joined the saffron party on Tuesday.

TMC MLA from Pandabeswar constituency in West Bardhaman district Jitendra Tiwari joined the BJP at Baidyabati in Hooghly district in the presence of state BJP president Dilip Ghosh and several other senior leaders. He is also the former mayor of Asansol.

“I am grateful to the BJP leadership for allowing me to be a part of the party. From now on I will be able to express myself freely. I don’t want to make any allegations against anyone. But I must say for several years I was not able to speak my mind. I wanted something and had to say something else,” said Tiwari.

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Tiwari also said that he always wanted to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’ but could not do it on stage.

“I have found my thoughts to be much closer to BJP’s ideology. Earlier I used to say ‘Jai Shree Ram’ on my own but could not say it on stage,” said Tiwari.

A section of State BJP leaders including Union Minister Babul Supriyo, State BJP Mahila Morcha president Agnimitra Paul and general secretary Sayantan Basu had earlier opposed Tiwari's induction into BJP. At that time Supriyo had said that opposing Tiwari’s induction into the BJP was his personal opinion and he would abide by the party leadership’s decision.