TMC MLAs join BJP: Less than a week after stunning the Trinamool Congress by winning 18 of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, the BJP on Tuesday served fresh jolt to Mamata Banerjee. Mukul Roy, who was once a close confidant of Mamata, herded a group of two TMC MLAs – Subhrangshu Roy, Tusharkanti Bhattacharya – and over 50 councilors in to the BJP. Another MLA -CPM’s Debendra Nath Roy also jumped the ship.

Speaking to reporters at the BJP headquarters with the crowd of new joinees behind him, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said defection has just begun and more leaders from Mamata’s party will join the BJP in coming days. “Today was just the first phase. Like the elections were held in seven phases in West Bengal, joining the BJP would also happen in seven phases,” Vijayvargiya, who was in-charge of Bengal for Lok Sabha elections, told reporters.

Adding to Vijayvargiya’s statement, Mukul Roy, whose son Subhrangshu was among the TMC leaders joining the saffron party, said Mamata’s party won’t be in a position to get the post of Leader of Opposition after Bengal Assembly election which is scheduled to be held in 2021. Subhrangshu was suspended by the TMC for anti-party activities recently.

Today’s exodus of TMC leaders came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during one of his election rallies, had claimed that 40 lawmakers from Mamata’s party were in touch with him and would join the BJP after Lok Sabha elections.

“Didi, even your MLAs will desert you when the results of this election are out. Your 40 MLAs are in touch with me and all your MLAs will desert you once the BJP wins the election. Political ground has slipped from under your feet,” PM Modi had said at an election rally in Sreerampur Lok Sabha seat in Hoogly district.

TMC Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien had then slammed PM Modi accusing him of indulging in horse trading.

“Expiry Babu PM, lets get this straight. Nobody will go with you. Not even one councilor. Are you election campaigning or horse trading! Your expiry date is near. Today, we are complaining to the Election Commission. Charging you with horse trading,” O’Brien had tweeted.

The BJP, which had won just two Lok Sabha seats in 2014  in Bengal, is hoping to unseat Mamata Banerjee from power in 2021 Assembly polls.