Hour before PM Narendra Modi rally, Bengal BJP MP joins TMC

JHARGRAM: Bengal BJP's outgoing Jhargram MP Kunar Hembram joined Trinamool Congress, just an hour before PM Narendra Modi's rally on Sunday in Kharagpur, 42km away, reported.

Denied renomination by BJP, Hembram criticised his former party's "imposition of Hindutva on tribal identity" and pledged to campaign for TMC candidates in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

While inducting Hembram, TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said: "Jhargram played a crucial role in ensuring that CM Mamata Banerjee came back to office for a third time in 2021. People gave us all four seats. In 2019, BJP won this seat by 11,700 votes."

"Now, Hembram himself says after five years with BJP, he has realised they are 'jana jati birodhi' and 'Adivasi birodhi'," he added.

Hembram said his decision was well-considered, praising Trinamool's work in Jangalmahal over BJP's, adding that he didn't harbour any personal ambitions before making the switch.


Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, Location Guesser and Mini Crossword.