Kolkata: Bayron Biswas, the lone Congress legislator in the West Bengal Assembly, joined the Trinamool Congress on Monday, thus reducing the grand old party’s strength to zero in the 294-member House.
Biswas got elected as a Left Front-backed Congress candidate in the Assembly byploll at Sagardighi in Murshidabad district, which was held a few months back.
The result had cheered the Left-Congress combine, as it showed a sign of erosion in the minority vote bank of Trinamool Congress in the Muslim-dominated constituency.
On Monday, Trinamool’s national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee personally welcomed Biswas into the party after wrapping him with a party flag.
Speaking on the occasion, Biswas said that Congress had no contribution behind his victory in the by-election.
“I was never with the Congress. I could not work for the people of Sagardighi being in the Congress. At the same time, I feel that Trinamool is the only party in West Bengal which is truly opposing the BJP. So, I joined Trinamool. Only time will tell whether I am a traitor,” Biswas said.
Meanwhile, reacting to the development, state Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that Biswas ultimately succumbed to the pressure of the ruling party.
“First he was offered money by the Trinamool Congress. When he refused, he started receiving threats. This is the strategy of Trinamool. First they try to lure people using money power, and if that ploy fails, they issue threats,” Chowdhury said.
(IANS)
