Big jolt to BJP, West Bengal MP Arjun Singh joins TMC

New Delhi: BJP MP Arjun Singh joined the ruling TMC on Sunday (May 22) in the presence of party’s general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata, ANI reported. He reached Banerjee’s office around 4:30 pm and held a marathon meeting with senior TMC leaders. Welcoming Singh to the party, the Trinamool Congress wrote on Twitter,  “Warmly welcoming former Vice President of @BJP4Bengal and MP from Barrackpore, Shri @ArjunsinghWB into the All India Trinamool Congress family. He joins us today in the presence of our National General Secretary Shri @abhishekaitc.” “There is nothing as such that be termed as the last word in politics,” Singh, the former BJP state vice-president told the reporters earlier. 

Warmly welcoming former Vice President of @BJP4Bengal and MP from Barrackpore, Shri @ArjunsinghWB into the All India Trinamool Congress family.

He joins us today in the presence of our National General Secretary Shri @abhishekaitc. pic.twitter.com/UuOB9yp9Xo

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) May 22, 2022

The development comes amid speculations of West Bengal BJP MP Arjun Singh’s switchover to Mamata Banerjee-led party. Singh had quit TMC to join the saffron party just ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, wherein he bagged the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat. 

Earlier in the day, he expressed dissatisfaction with the working of the BJP, adding the party has shortcomings in some states including Bengal and Kerala. The Barrackpore MP said that he has kept his views in front of party national president JP Nadda who assured him that “he will think about it”.”I kept my opinion in front of BJP chief JP Nadda and he said that he`ll think about it. BJP has shortcomings in Bengal and Kerala and it`s upon the party as a whole how it`ll tackle them, being an MP, I can`t look into them on an individual level,” Singh told ANI. Recently, he had hit out at the West Bengal BJP alleging that he is not allowed to work despite holding a senior position in the organisation.

Singh, who has been critical of the Centre’s jute policy, said he will have a discussion on jute procurement with the West Bengal government. “Issues related to Jute come under the Centre but some of them come under West Bengal govt officials as well. I`ll be going to have a discussion with them on this matter, today,” the Barrackpore MP had said. 

(With agency inputs)