Ex-Union Minister Babul Supriyo joins Trinamool Congress

Kolkata: Former Union Minister and ex-BJP MP Babul Supriyo joined Trinamool Congress (TMC), two months after his quitting from BJP. Supriyo has been welcomed into the party fold in the presence of TMC's party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien.

Supriyo was reportedly not on good terms with BJP after he was asked to resign as the junior environment minister in the recent cabinet reshuffle. He was also upset with BJP's senior leaders in the state during the West Bengal Assembly elections.

Supriyo is the fifth BJP leader who joined the TMC after its sweeping victory in the Assembly election in Bengal. Many BJP leaders are in communication with Trinamool leadership. They are not satisfied with BJP. One (Mr Supriyo) joined today, another wants to join tomorrow. This process will go on. Wait and watch," Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh said, ANI reported.

"Today, in the presence of National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and RS MP Derek O'Brien, former Union Minister and sitting MP Babul Supriyo joined the Trinamool family. We take this opportunity to extend a very warm welcome to him!" Trinamool said in an official statement.

Soon after Supriyo's quitting from BJP, he said he had no plans on joining a rival political party.