TMC s Tripura unit former chief joins BJP

Agartala March 10 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress s Tripura unit former chief Surajit Datta on Friday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and other senior leaders.

I have joined the BJP to strengthen the struggle to dislodge the Left Front government in next year s assembly elections Datta who resigned from the party last week told reporters after formally joining the BJP.

He said: I have resigned from the TMC as the party would be unable to fight against the ruling Left Front properly.

A former minister and former President of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee Datta joined the TMC in September 2013 along with many leaders and thousands of followers.

Datta a five-time Congress member of the state assembly joined the BJP at a massive public rally addressed by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal BJP s National General Secretary Ram Madhav and state unit president Biplab Kumar Deb among other leaders.

Refusing to comment on Datta s resignation Tripura state TMC s President Ashish Saha said the TMC would fight tooth and nail against the ruling Left Front government in next year s assembly elections.

Veteran tribal leader Rampada Jamatia also joined the BJP at the public gathering.

--IANS
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