Another TMC MLA joins BJP ahead of West Bengal polls

In another jolt to Trinamool Congress (TMC) ahead of West Bengal assembly polls, party MLA Gaurishankar Dutta on Wednesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Dutta was inducted into the party in the presence of West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh and party leader Rajib Banerjee in the state capital.

Dutta is the sitting MLA from the Tehatta Assembly constituency of Nadia district.

Wednesday's development comes two days after five sitting TMC MLAs and a party candidate -- who was allotted a seat from Habibpur for upcoming polls -- joined the BJP.

TMC MLAs Sonali Guha, Dipendu Biswas, Rabindranath Bhattacharya, Sital Kumar Sardar and Jatu Lahiri joined the BJP on Monday. Sarala Murmu, TMC leader who was allotted a party ticket to contest from Habibpur, had joined the BJP despite the fact that her name was mentioned in the candidate list in West Bengal this election season.

The assembly elections in West Bengal will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

( With inputs from ANI )