Setback for Mamata as Mukul Roy's son, 2 Bengal MLAs, 50 councillors join BJP

New Delhi, May 28: In a major setback to Mamata Banerjee, 50 Trinamool Congress councillors along with BJP leader Mukul Roy's son joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday.

BJP National General secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya had also confirmed the same while speaking to the media. "Three MLAs and 50-60 Councillors are joining BJP today. Such joining will continue in future also," he had said.

At the BJP press conference, Kailash Vijayvargiya said, "Like the elections were held in seven phases in West Bengal, joinings in BJP will also happen in seven phases. Today was just the first phase," he said.

Subhranshu Roy was expelled on May 24, just a day after Lok Sabha election result was announced, for making anti-party comments by praising his father Mukul Roy and saying he single-handedly wrecked the TMC in the state.

16 TMC Councillors of the Kanchrapara Municipality collectively withdrew from TMC Councillor' Party. Subhrangshu Roy, son of BJP leader Mukul Roy also withdrew his membership.

The ruling Trinamool won 22 seats in the Lok Sabha election this year, down from 34 in the general election in 2014. The Bharatiya Janata Party wrested 18 out of Bengal's 42 Lok Sabha seats after getting just two seats in the last national polls.