"BJP threatening, forcing MLAs to switch"

Kolkata : Ten Trinamool Congress MLAs have rejoined the party on Saturday after moving to BJP a couple of days back, said MP Abhishek Banerjee. He accused BJP of threatening and forcing the MLAs to join it.

"Some councillors from Kanchrapara and Halisahar had joined the BJP a few days ago. Ten of these councillors have rejoined the TMC today. They were forced and threatened to join the BJP. But now the two municipalities are back under TMC," Abhishek Banerjee told a press conference.

"It is BJP's tendency to try and bloat their numbers by giving false data," Abhishek Banerjee added.

Earlier on Saturday, Mukul Roy had announced that as many as 107 MLAs are set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. Without revealing the names of the MLAs, Mukul Roy claimed that 107 MLAs from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will join the saffron party.

In a press conference, Mukul Roy claimed that all 107 MLAs are in touch with the state BJP leadership.

Reacting to Mukul Roy's claims, Abhishek Banerjee said that the BJP leader has not been able to secure his locality councillors and has been changing his statements.

"Roy is not able to secure his locality councillors. Earlier he used to say 100 MLAs now 107 MLAS, then he will say total 294 will join BJP. People who rejoined TMC today said that they were forcibly taken to Delhi to join BJP. Others are also in contact with our party, they want to come back," Abhishek Banerjee said.