Chandan Mitra joined Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress at a mega rally in Kolkata today

Several new faces joined Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) today at her annual mega rally in Kolkata, but none bigger than two-time Rajya Sabha lawmaker and former BJP leader Chandan Mitra.

Chandan Mitra, who quit the BJP earlier this week, is believed to be unhappy at being sidelined by the Amit Shah-Narendra Modi axis of power in the BJP. In his resignation letter to the party, he had expressed unhappiness about some of its policies.

Mr Mitra is one of the bigger names to distance itself with the party.

Mr Mitra began his career as a journalist at The Statesman. He is currently the editor of The Pioneer newspaper in Delhi.

Along with him, four Congress legislators in West Bengal - Samar Mukherjee, Abu Taher, Sabina Yasmin and Akhruzzman - also joined the Trinamool today at its rally to mark Martyrs' Day - to commemorate the 1993 Kolkata firing - outside Victoria House in the heart of Kolkata.