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In the Nalhati Assembly segment of Birbhum district, around 270 Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Most of these individuals were reportedly
close to former district president Anubrata Mondal. Anubrata Mondal’s influence within the party has waned in recent months. Dr Ashish Banerjee, Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly and MLA
of Rampurhat, has been appointed chairperson of a newly-formed nine-member district core committee. Advertisement Until recently, Anubrata Mondal and the Sabhadhipati of the Birbhum zilla
parishad were organising separate political programmes. TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee has since directed Mondal not to organise any political activities independently, affirming that the
core committee will now make all final decisions. Advertisement Since his release from Tihar Jail, Mondal has not been reinstated as the district president of the TMC in Birbhum, despite the
position remaining vacant. Dhruba Saha, BJP Birbhum district president, stated that these 55 families and 270 individuals were disillusioned with the TMC and expressed a desire to join the
BJP to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He added that more TMC supporters are expected to switch allegiance in the coming days, with a formal joining event planned in
Suri. Bishnu Bhuimali from the Barla area of Nalhati commented that these families had supported the TMC since its inception, but have grown increasingly frustrated with the party’s recent
performance in the district. The wave of defections following the decline of Anubrata Mondal’s prominence has once again raised questions about his effectiveness in establishing and managing
the TMC’s organisational base in Birbhum. The TMC has set a target to win all eleven seats in Birbhum in the 2026 Assembly elections. In 2021, the BJP managed to secure one seat in the
district. At this critical juncture, defections to the BJP may weaken the TMC’s organisational strength in Birbhum. Advertisement