NEW DELHI: Former TMC heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday joined the BJP in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah at a rally in West Bengal's Midnapore. His formal induction into the saffron party has put to rest weeks of speculation about his political future.
Adhikari, who has been at odds with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for the past few weeks, had exited the Trinamool Congress on Thursday and resigned as the party's MLA earlier this week.
Besides Adhikari, several other TMC leaders defected to the BJP at the mammoth rally.
Two-time TMC MP from Bardhaman Purba Lok Sabha constituency Sunil Mondal, who has been vocal about his differences with the party's leadership, was inducted into the the BJP.