Trinamul MLA Sabyasachi Dutta joins BJP

Trinamul MLA and former Bidhannagar mayor Sabyasachi Dutta, who had often criticised Mamata Banerjee, joined the BJP on Tuesday in the presence of party chief Amit Shah.

Dutta — the eighth Trinamul MLA to defect this year — was hugged by Shah at the event in Netaji Indoor Stadium. “You have cooled down Kashmir. Bengal is not cool, cool it down,” Dutta said in a speech addressed to Shah.

Trinamul secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said Dutta’s exit “makes no difference”.