Kolkata, January 28: In a major setback for the Congress ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2019, the party's Lok Sabha MP in West Bengal, Mausam Noor, joined the Trinamool Congress. She was inducted into the TMC in presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday.

Noor, who currently represents the Malda (North) constituency in the Parliament, met Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat 'Nabanna' before formally joining the party. TMC MP Saumitra Khan Joins BJP Ahead of LS Polls 2019.

The exit of 39-year-old Noor will sent a major jolt to the Congress -- which has decided to go solo in the forthcoming polls in Bengal. The turncoat leader is the niece of late Congress veteran ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury.

Noor, who is is a second-term MP of the Congress, was among the four lawmakers elected on the party ticket in the 2014 polls. "I am inspired by Didi (Mamata). I'll work under her guidance for the development of the state. We have to fight against the BJP and I am quite confident that the TMC will win all the 42 seats in West Bengal in the coming Lok Sabha elections," she was quoted as saying by PTI.

Speculations are rife that Noor would be re-fielded by the Trinamool from the Malda seat in the upcoming elections. However, Mamata -- who is yet to finalise the list of candidates -- is yet to take the final call.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 28, 2019 08:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).