Kolkata: Yashwant Sinha, former stalwart of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Union Finance Minister in the Atal Vihari Bajpayee government, joined the Trinamool Congress here on Saturday.
Sinha, who became a vocal critic of the current dispensation of BJP before quitting it in 2018, said he felt it was necessary to join forces with Trinamool to help in whatever ‘‘little way’’ he could. He met Mamata Banerjee, the West Bengal Chief Minister, for about 45 minutes before coming to the Trinamool Bhavan where he was inducted in the presence of senior TMC leader and minister Subarata Mukherjee and Sudip Bandopadhyay, a Rajya Sabha MP from TMC.
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“The country is facing an unprecedented situation today. The strength of democracy lies in the strength of the institutions of democracy. All these institutions including the judiciary have become weak now,” said Sinha at TMC headquarters.
“BJP during Atal Ji’s time believed in consensus but today’s government believes in crushing & conquering. Akalis, BJD have left the BJP. Today, who is standing with BJP?” Sinha asked.
''There used to be a saying that what Bengal thinks today, the country thinks tomorrow. The path of change in Delhi in 2024 elections will go through Bengal,'' he hoped.
The announcement comes a day after Mamata Banerjee was discharged from state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata. Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that she was attacked by four-five men who pushed her during her campaign in Nandigram.
''Mamata Ji had always been a fighter and she is still a fighter. She offered to become a hostage when terrorists captured a plane and took it to Kandahar. She was ready to sacrifice her life in return for the lives of the hostages in the plane,'' Sinha recalled.
West Bengal will witness an eight-phased Assembly polls, beginning March 27.
The tenure of the 16th Legislative Assembly of the state will end on May 30 this year. A total of 7,34,07,832 voters will choose their representative for the 17th Legislative Assembly of West Bengal.
As many as 824 assembly constituencies shall be going for polls in four states - Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry (Union Territory).
