TMC MLA and Former Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee Joins BJP

New Delhi, August 14: Former Kolkata mayor and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Sovan Chatterjee on Wednesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in New Delhi. He was welcomed to the saffron party by BJP West Bengal leader Mukul Roy. In November last year, Chatterjee was asked to step down from both as Kolkata Mayor and minister in TMC government by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following trouble in his personal life. West Bengal: 107 TMC, Congress and CPM MLAs Will Join BJP, Claims Mukul Roy.

According to reports, Chatterjee was in touch with BJP leaders for the last few months. He also went to New Delhi, fuelling speculations that he might join BJP. Chatterjee, a two-time mayor, has been a close aide of Mamata Banerjee and was part of TMC from start.

Tweet by ANI:

Delhi: TMC MLA Sovan Chatterjee joins Bharatiya Janata Party in presence of BJP leader Mukul Roy, at party headquarters. pic.twitter.com/LAoG2lLyif

— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2019

After a debacle in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the top TMC leader, Partha Chatterjee, tried to woo former Kolkata mayor but failed to bring him back. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Says BJP ‘Collecting Garbage’, As 2 TMC MLA, 27 Councillors Join Saffron Party in Last Two Days.

In West Bengal, six TMC MLAs and one each of Indian National Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) have switched over to BJP since the results of 2019 Lok Sabha polls were announced.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 14, 2019 06:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).