West Bengal assembly polls: Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha joins TMC

Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha,

a bitter critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi regime, on Saturday joined Trinamool Congress days ahead of the high- octane West Bengal assembly polls.

Sinha, who served in the cabinet of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had quit the saffron party in 2018 after having serious differences with the party leadership.

His son Jayant Sinha is the BJP MP from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand.

"The country is passing through a strange situation. Our values and principles are in danger.

"The strength of democracy lies in the robustness of its institutions, and all the institutions have been weakened systematically," Sinha said.

The octogenarian leader pledged support to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her fight against the BJP:

"We welcome Yashwant Sinha to our party. His participation would strengthen our fight against the BJP in the elections," TMC Lok Sabha party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay said.

Sinha had served as Union Finance minister twice- once in the Chandra Sekhar cabinet in 1990 and then again in the Vajpayee ministry.

He also held portfolio of External Affairs ministry in the Vajpayee cabinet.