TMC MLA resigns, may decide to join BJP today

Days after quitting the Mamata Banerjee cabinet, TMC leader Rajib Banerjee on Friday resigned as the MLA of the West Bengal Assembly, as speculation that he might join the saffron camp ahead of the state elections picked up steam.

The former forest minister, who represented the Domjur Assembly seat, visited the state assembly in the morning and submitted his resignation to Speaker Biman Banerjee.

“I have resigned as MLA of the state assembly. I have submitted my resignation letter to the speaker. I thank my party supremo Mamata Banerjee for providing me with an opportunity to serve the masses,” he said.

Asked if he would quit the ruling party, the disgruntled TMC leader, who had been critical of his colleagues on several occasions, said he is yet to take a call on the matter.

“I have not decided anything as yet. I will clear my stand tomorrow,” he said.

Replying to a query about chances of his switchover to the BJP, Banerjee said, “If you want to serve the masses, you need to be associated with a political party. People always want a politician to be associated with a party. But I have not spoken with BJP leaders so far,” He, however, stressed that he will “continue to serve the people of my constituency in the days to come”.

Incidentally, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to address a rally in Banerjee’s home district Howrah on January 31.

Banerjee, a popular mass leader in Howrah, influences eight of the 16 assembly seats in the district.