Big Jolt to TMC Party

New Delhi, January 09: In a major setback to Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, TMC Lok Sabha MP Saumitra Khan joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday.

In this regard, BJP leader and former TMC member, Mukul Roy, said today that at least five more TMC MPs were in touch with him and were keen on joining the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier today, Khan met BJP president Amit Shah before the news came to fore that he will be joining the BJP. Khan told to media persons that he wanted to "work with PM Narendra Modi." Flanked by Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP leader Mukul Roy, Khan lashed out at West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, saying that there was "no democracy" but "police raj" in the state.

He said, "There is no democracy in the state. People cannot vote. Police raj is there." The 38-year-old leader added that he, like many other young people, believed in PM Narendra Modi, who "will bring about a change in the state."

Notably, on Tuesday, Khan had uploaded a Facebook post in which he had claimed that a police officer was trying to kill him. Following the controversial post, reports said that Khan was pulled up by senior party leaders for his behaviour. Khan represents Bishnupur constituency in the Lok Sabha and was previously a member of the state assembly also.