NEW DELHI: In another blow for the Trinamool Congress , its MLA Monirul Islam joined the BJP on Wednesday, the second legislator to desert the ruling party in West Bengal after the reverses in the Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP projected the decision of TMC 's Muslim MLA to join the party as a vindication of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwash" (together with all, development for all, trust of all).

The development comes a day after three West Bengal legislators, one each from the TMC, Congress and CPM, as well as 50 Trinamool councillors switched loyalties to the saffron camp.

Meanwhile, the BJP sources today claimed that six legislators and some former MPs of the Mamata Banerjee-led party are likely to switch sides to the saffron party in the coming days.

"Six TMC MLAs are likely to join us soon. Many more councillors of various municipalities are also in line. Just wait and watch," a senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.

The BJP leader said not just MLAs, a few former MPs of Trinamool Congress, are also in touch with the party and have expressed their desire to join the BJP in its "fight against the misrule of the TMC". Of the six MLAs, four are from south Bengal and two from north Bengal, he said. This, after BJP general secretary and West Bengal in charge Kailash Vijayvargiya on Tuesday asserted that several leaders from rival parties will come into the BJP's fold "in seven phases just as the elections were held in seven phases".

On Tuesday, Subhrangshu Roy, the son of Mamata’s erstwhile confidante and now BJP leader Mukul Roy, Tusharkanti Bhattacharya (Congress) and Debendra Roy (CPM) crossed over to the BJP.

The defections come just days after the BJP made significant inroads in West Bengal, winning 18 Lok Sabha seats, only four less than TMC's 22.

The Trinamool Congress, however, tried to play down the defections and accused the BJP of indulging in horse-trading, an allegation denied by the saffron party.

(With inputs from agencies)

Read this story in Marathi

