LF defectors join TMC after cross-voting in WB RS polls

After cross-voting for Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha nominees, three Left Front legislators today joined the ruling party in West Bengal.
TMC general secretary Mukul Roy claimed the two Congress MLAs, who had also voted for TMC, would also join the party soon.
Three Left Front legislators, former PWD minister in the LF government Dasarath Tirkey and Ananta Deb Adhikari, both of RSP and Sunil Mondal of Forward Bloc, were present during Roy's press conference at TMC headquarters.
The cross-voting by the the five Left and Congress MLAs had helped TMC gain an extra seat in Rajya Sabya poll yesterday.
Roy said the MLAs had "lost" faith in the LF leadership and would resign from their seats at an appropriate time.

The two rebel Congress MLAs Sushil Roy and Emani Biswas, who also voted for Trinamool yesterday and were suspended for anti-party activities, would also join TMC soon, Roy claimed.

"Many from CPI(M) are contacting us", he claimed adding "I will not name them as it would be a breach of trust".
"Many (Leftists) are disgusted with the Left having deviated from its ideologies and are waiting in the wings", said Roy.
The desertion of LF MLAs was the first since the Left Front was routed in West Bengal and TMC swept to power in the state in May 2011.
Charging CPI(M) had lost its relevance in the state, Roy said that after the coming Lok Sabha elections, the party would virtually turn into a non-entity and more from the Left would be joining TMC.

"CPI(M) will face defeat not only in West Bengal but also in Kerala and Tripura in Lok Sabha polls and has entered into an alliance in Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Odisha out of desperation to secure some seats," Roy said.
Cross-voting by Left Front and Congress had helped the Trinamool Congress gain an extra seat in the Rajya Sabha elections in West Bengal yesterday.