TMC MLA, former Asansol Mayor Jitendra Tiwari joins BJP

Earlier in December last year, taking a dig at the TMC leadership, Tiwari had resigned as Asansol Mayor and quit his party.

At that time, Jitendra Tiwari was all set to join the BJP at Union Home Minister Amit Shah's Medinipur rally on Dec 19 in 2020. However, Tiwari could not succeed as few BJP leaders, including his biggest political rival Asansol MP Babul Supriyo, reportedly opposed his joining.

Within the next 24 hours, Tiwari went back to TMC and sought forgiveness from supremo Mamata Banerjee, but he had been sidelined in the party and axed from party posts.

Later in Feb 2021, TMC appointed him as party's national spokesperson.

Joining the BJP here, Jitendra Tiwari said, "For the last two years, it was not very easy to share my own thoughts in my previous party, and I believe I will be able to express my feelings and thoughts freely in BJP from today."

Meanwhile, Babul Supriyo on Tuesday welcomed his once political rival, Jitendra Tiwari, to the BJP and called to work together.

Reacting to Tiwari's party-change, TMC Secretary General Partha Chatterjee said, "Many people are leaving TMC and going to BJP - we are not giving importance to them as state's people are with Mamata Banerjee and they are our real strength."