Kolkata: On the day when former Trinamool Congress MP Somen Mitra joined the Congress, a host of leaders and workers from various parties, including the Congress, moved in the opposite direction on Tuesday.
West Bengal`s ruling party general secretary Mukul Roy on Tuesday said people from the opposition parties queue up daily to join Trinamool ranks.
The entrants on Tuesday included prominent figures like Maitrayee Saha, a former president of the women`s wing, and Nityananda De, a former vice president of the state Congress. They joined Trinamool at the party headquarters here.
"People of every political formation now want to become part of (Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee`s development works. Responsible leaders from the opposition and able organisers are queuing up to join us," Roy said.
"If I were to announce the names of all those who joined today, then newspapers will have no space left to write anything else," he added, announcing the prominent joiners which includes Krishna Chandra Chandra, the president of Howrah District Congress.
Roy claimed that a many more political leaders from several other states will join the Trinamool during the January 30 party rally at the city`s Brigade Parade Grounds.
The event coincided with Somen Mitra`s formal induction into tghe Congress at a colourful event at its city headquarters amid the presence of central and state leaders. Mitra, who represented Diamond Harbour in the South 24-Parganas district, resigned from his Lok Sabha seat Jan 15, accusing the Trinamool leadership of failing to keep its pre-poll promises after coming to power in the state.
During the Trinamool event, senior party leader and MP Sudip Banerjee, alleging a tacit understanding between the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), attacked the parties for "politicising" crimes against women.
"Politicising social malaise like crimes against women is the lowest form of politics," said Banerjee after the opposition attacked the Banerjee government in the wake of several gang rapes in the city and adjoining districts.
Banerjee also attacked the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), accusing it of "hard pressing bills with an eye to the coming Lok Sabha polls".
He also asked the Congress and the CPI-M to jointly organise press conferences to malign the Trinamool government in the state.
"Governance is not cakewalk. It involves hard work, dedication and a lot of selfless service and the Trinamool led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is doing the same," added Banerjee.
