Trinamool Congress minister Manjul Krishna Thakur joins BJP

Kolkata: In a setback to the Trinamool Congress ahead of a crucial February 13 by-election, its minister Manjul Krishna Thakur on Thursday quit the party, accusing it of functioning in a 'whimsical' way, and joined the BJP.

Manjul Krishna, Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation minister, joined the BJP along with his son Subrata Thakur, and immediately after accused the state government and the party of functioning in a 'whimsical' way.

"I have decided to join BJP today along with my son as I feel that TMC is no longer a party for honest and good politicians. The TMC government has not allowed me to work for the benefit of my Matua community," Thakur told a press conference.

State BJP president Rahul Sinha, who was also present in the press conference, welcomed Manjul and his son into the BJP fold and said, "The joining of the first minister of TMC to BJP is the beginning of the fall of the TMC government in Bengal. Just wait and watch what happens in the next few days".

The joining of Thakur just before the by-election to Bongaon parliamentary constituency on February 13, which fell vacant after the death of Thakur's elder brother Kapil Krishna Thakur, a TMC MP, is of immense political significance as the Matua community forms a major chunk of the electorate in the constituency.

"I was feeling suffocated in the TMC. Hurdles were being created in every step I took to do something for the Matua community. Inspite of the promise by Mamata Banerjee before 2011 Assembly polls, no development has taken place. Whenever I tried to inform her, she just listened without taking any action," Thakur said.

Roy, the TMC Rajya Sabha member and former railway minister has been asked by the CBI to appear before it. Questioning the neutrality of the CBI investigation in the Saradha scam, Chatterjee accused the Centre of using the investigating agency according to its will.

"We are not against the Supreme Court. We are not against the legal system but we are against the way BJP is using CBI at its will", he said.

"When a central leader of BJP can predict what will happen next or the series of questions slated to be asked by CBI come out, then people start doubting CBI's neutral character," he stated.

"The only motive behind all these false allegations against our leader is to malign the Mamata Banerjee government so the party leaders lose their confidence in the leadership.

But that's not happening, on contrary we are happy to see that people in villages have started relying more and more on TMC and on Mamata Banerjee," he said.

He rubbished the suggestion that several TMC leaders and people were joining the saffron party.

"Those who are joining BJP are discarded by the party. They have nothing to do other than appearing in TV shows or sleeping at home," he said.

When enquired about Roy's purpose of visiting New Delhi, only a day after arriving here from the national capital, Chatterjee said, "there could be nothing to be sceptical about Roy's visiting New Delhi and the fact is that he is the party's all India general secretary and a Rajya Sabha MP".