West Bengal Elections 2021: Sarala Murmu, dropped from TMC candidate list in WB, likely to switch to BJP

New Delhi: All India Trinamool Congress  on Monday informed that the candidate for Malda District’s Habibpur Assembly Constituency (No. 43) Sarala Murmu had to be replaced due to her ill health. Pradeep Baskey will be contesting the upcoming Assembly Elections from this constituency.

“This is primarily the reason why she has decided to quit the TMC and is planning to join the BJP. Apart from Murmu, 14 others, including Gour Chandra Mondal (Malda Zila Parishad president) and Amlan Bhaduri (TMC co-ordinator), are also planning to join the BJP,” a local TMC leader said, requesting anonymity.

West Bengal is likely to witness a triangular contest this time with TMC, Congress-Left alliance and the BJP in the fray.

The Assembly elections in the state will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

After winning 3 seats in the 2016 Assembly election in West Bengal, the BJP made deep inroads in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections winning 18 seats and reducing TMC’s tally to 22. Out of the total 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal, Congress won two seats, the Left drew a blank.