Trinamul MLA set to join BJP today... Champramary, who has been in Trinamul since 2013, is in Delhi at present

TT, 24 June 2019, Alipurduar: The BJP is likely to get on board a number of Trinamul leaders, including an MLA, from Alipurduar and South Dinajpur districts on Monday.

Wilson Champramary, the Trinamul MLA of Kalchini in Alipurduar district, said on Sunday that he would join the BJP in Delhi.

Champramary, who has been in Trinamul since 2013, is in Delhi at present.

“I am an MLA and yet, I could not bring about development in my constituency independently. Every work that has to be taken up in Kalchini is being planned by Trinamul leaders in Calcutta. I had told the party and ministers to draw up plans for the socio-economic development of people belonging to communities like Mech, Rava and Bodo. But nothing has been done so far. I am upset and so decided to join the BJP,” he said over phone from Delhi.

On Monday, Champramary will join the BJP in the presence of state and central leaders of the party at its headquarters.

Mohan Sharma, the Alipurduar district Trinamul chief, said: “I am in Chennai now and do not have information about the Kalchini MLA’s move. But even if some people defect to the BJP, it will not affect our party.”

Biplab Mitra, a former Trinamul MLA in South Dinajpur district and his brother Prashanta, the chairman of Gangarampur municipality, have also been camping in Delhi. Many elected members of Trinamul at the zilla parishad and two civic bodies — Gangarampur and Buniadpur — are also in Delhi.

Mitra was unhappy with the leadership’s decision to field Balurghat MP Arpita Ghosh for the second time in the same seat in the Lok Sabha polls recently.