MP joining BJP: Cong, CPI(M) say TMC getting dose of own

With a TMC MP joining the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress and the CPI(M) Thursday said the party that started the "unethical political culture" of poaching elected representatives is now getting back the dose of its own medicine.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP from Bishnupur Lok Sabha seat in Bankura district, Saumitra Khan, Wednesday joined BJP in New Delhi. The party expelled him along with its Bolpur Lok Sabha MP Anupam Hazra for anti party activities.

"After coming to power in 2011, the TMC had started this culture of poaching elected representatives of the Congress and Left parties. It was an alien culture in Bengal politics. Now the TMC is getting the dose of it medicine," Leader of the opposition and senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan said.

Echoing the views of Mannan, the CPI(M) said the "fixed political match" between the TMC and the BJP in Bengal had started taking toll on Mamata Banerjee's party.

More than 16 MLAs of the Congress and six of the Left parties had switched over to the TMC in the state between 2011 and 2016. Since the 2016 Assembly poll, 12 Congress MLAs and three of the Left Front joined the ruling party.

"We feel that it's a fixed political match where elected representatives of the TMC are at ease by joining the BJP. The fixed political match has started taking its toll on the TMC in the state," CPI(M) central committee leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

When Congress and Left MLAs joined the Trinamool, the party had claimed that they are changing side to take part in the developmental process ushered by Mamata Banerjee regime.

But the opposition parties maintained that the TMC was abusing its power to force their MLAs to switchover to the ruling party.