TMC MLAs join BJP, May 28 (TIWN): Less than a week after stunning the Trinamool Congress by winning 18 of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, the BJP on Tuesday served fresh jolt to Mamata Banerjee. Mukul Roy, who was once a close confidant of Mamata, herded a group of two TMC MLAs – Subhrangshu Roy, Tusharkanti Bhattacharya – and over 50 councilors in to the BJP. Another MLA -CPM’s Debendra Nath Roy also jumped the ship.

Speaking to reporters at the BJP headquarters with the crowd of new joinees behind him, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said defection has just begun and more leaders from Mamata’s party will join the BJP in coming days. “Today was just the first phase. Like the elections were held in seven phases in West Bengal, joining the BJP would also happen in seven phases,” Vijayvargiya, who was in-charge of Bengal for Lok Sabha elections, told reporters.

Adding to Vijayvargiya’s statement, Mukul Roy, whose son Subhrangshu was among the TMC leaders joining the saffron party, said Mamata’s party won’t be in a position to get the post of Leader of Opposition after Bengal Assembly election which is scheduled to be held in 2021. Subhrangshu was suspended by the TMC for anti-party activities recently.