Former TMC minister wants to rejoin TMC, dumps BJP

Kolkata, Apr 24: Former Trinamool Congress minister Manjul Krishna Thakur, who had switched over to BJP in January this year, on Friday, April 24 appealed to the TMC leadership that he be taken back in the party fold.

Thakur, in his letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accepted his 'mistake' of leaving the party and appealed that he be taken back to the party fold, state Food Supplies Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick said. [West Bengal minister joins BJP, calls Mamata 'unprincipled']

"Manjul Krishna Thakur has written to our party supremo Mamata Banerjee that he wants to come back to TMC fold. He has accepted his mistake. Now our party supremo will take the final call on this matter," Mullick told PTI.

When contacted, Thakur refused to make any comment. "It is a personal matter and as of now I don't want to make any comment on it," Thakur said.

State BJP president Rahul Sinha too said he is unaware of any such development and will talk to Thakur regarding it.

Thakur, just ahead of the February 13 bypolls in Bongaon Lok Sabha seat, along with his son Subrata Thakur had joined BJP and resigned from his ministerial portfolio of Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation Department.

Manjul, who comes from Matua community - a vote bank which holds the sway in Bongoan area, then had accused the TMC government and party of functioning in a "whimsical" way.

Later on, Subrata was given a BJP ticket to contest from the Bongaon seat against his aunt, TMC candidate Mamata Bala Thakur.

But Mamatabala had registered a massive victory in the Bongaon polls handing over a humiliating defeat to BJP and Subrata Thakur.

PTI