'Golden moment': Dinesh Trivedi, former Trinamool MP, joins BJP
What's the story
Dinesh Trivedi, former Union Railways Minister and parliamentarian from the Trinamool Congress, today joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The 70-year-old leader's joining has come just weeks ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, due between March and April. Trivedi had quit his Rajya Sabha and Trinamool membership last month. Here are more details on this.
Details
He joined party in presence of Piyush Goyal, JP Nadda
"This was the golden moment I had been waiting for," Trivedi said after joining the saffron party at its headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal and BJP chief JP Nadda. At the event, Nadda said that Trivedi was the "right person in the wrong party. Now he is in the right party."
Statement
'Bengal has rejected the TMC'
Trivedi said he will be active in the election process, irrespective of whether or not he contests in the polls. "Bengal has rejected TMC. They want progress, not corruption or violence. They are ready for real change. Politics is not a game, it's serious," he said. Referring to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he added, "She forgot her ideals while playing."
Resignation
Trivedi had quit as Rajya Sabha MP on February 12
Trivedi had resigned from his Rajya Sabha and Trinamool membership on February 12, saying that he felt "suffocated" because of the violence in West Bengal. "I can't take any more what is happening. I am feeling suffocated and that's why I want to resign from here and want to work for my Bengal," he had said in his final speech in the Rajya Sabha.
Polls
Polls in Bengal to be held during March 27-April 29
Trivedi is the latest Trinamool leader to have joined the BJP. Other TMC stalwarts such as Suvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee as well as many grass-root workers had also earlier switched sides. The Assembly elections in West Bengal are due to be held across eight phases from March 27 to April 29, and the results will be declared on May 2.