RS votes marked by defection from oppn camp

The Rajya Sabha polls for West Bengal, held today for five seats, was marked by surprises and defections from opposition camp, putting ruling Trinamool Congress in an advantageous position.
In the poll for five seats, Trinamool fielded candidates in four seats, the Left Front in one and Congress along with the Left nominated an Independent A S Malihabadi.
Three Left MLAs Sunil Mondal of Forward Bloc, Ananta Deb Adhikary and Dasarath Tirkey, both from RSP, and Congress legislators Sushil Roy and Himani Biswas voted in favour of Trinamool's Ahmed Hasan.
The Congress MLA from Sujapur Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury, who had yesterday vowed to vote in favour of Trinamool, however, did not do so today.

Commenting on the developments, Trinamool General Secretary Mukul Roy said "There are known Left leaders who have now voted for us for ideological reasons. We thank them."
CPI(M) leader Abdur Rezzak Mollah retorted, "It is better that such elements, we had earlier inducted in the party, can now be identified."
CPI(M) Politburo member and Leader of the Opposition Surya Kanta Mishra yesterday said that three Left MLAs Sunil Mondal of Forward Bloc, Dasarath Tirkey and Atanu Deb Adhikari of RSP could not be contacted.
"We have been trying to get in touch with them, but have failed to establish any contact," Mishra had claimed.