NEW DELHI: The BJP in Bengal got yet another boost as 15 TMC councillors of the 20-member Contai Municipality, led by Soumendu Adhikari, joined the party on Friday.
Soumendu is the brother of Suvendu Adhikari and was recently removed by the Trinamool Congress as the chairperson of Contai Municipality in the Purba Medinipur district.
Suvendu Adhikari, a former cabinet minister in the Mamata Banerjee government, had last month led the biggest exodus from the Trinamool Congress.
He had joined the BJP along with nine MLAs, five of them from the TMC, and a party MP during Union home minister Amit Shah's rally in Medinipur on December 19.
Soumendu's exit from the Trinamool was imminent as he had not participated in the recent political programmes of the party in the district.
A section of Trinamool leaders had alleged that he was supporting his brother Suvendu Adhikari's mass contact programmes for the last two months.
The Adhikari family still has two other members in the TMC camp -- MPs Dibyendu and Sisir.
Calling his brother's removal a "vindictive move", Suvendu said: "Soumendu has a long political career ahead of him. He has worked hard all these years ... and the same goes for the other councillors. The Adhikari family is no longer with the party of Pishi-Bhaipo (TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and nephew Abhisek Banerjee)."
(With inputs from agencies)
In Video:
Ahead of Bengal assembly polls, Suvendu Adhikari's brother Soumendu joins BJP