The Trinamul Congress regained control of Kanchrapara municipality on Saturday with nine councillors who had switched to the BJP returning to their parent party, prompting Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee to taunt Mukul Roy for failing to retain defectors in his backyard.

Two days ago, five other Trinamul councillors who had joined the BJP had returned to the Bengal ruling party’s fold. Now, Trinamul’s tally in the 24-member Kanchrapara municipality has again gone up to 19.

Also on Saturday, a Halishahar councillor rejoined Trinamul, taking the party’s tally to 14 in the 23-member body. Four days ago, eight other Trinamul councillors who had defected to the BJP had come back, restoring control of the municipality to the state’s ruling party.

Trinamul has also taken back Bhatpara municipality from the BJP, regaining control of three of the four civic bodies, barring the one in Naihati, that the BJP had taken over through defections as part of a drive that it had claimed would end with the fall of the Trinamul government.

Abhishek, who oversaw the return of the Kanchrapara councillors, alleged that they had been coerced into participating in the May 28 defection drive of the BJP.

“The councillors have said they were forced to join the BJP. We are happy to welcome them back home. They are old soldiers of our party and we understand the circumstances in which they had defected,” the Diamond Harbour MP said.

“This so-called Chanakya (Roy) is not an original. He is a made-in-China fake. He cannot even hold on to councillors from his backyard. If he has any shame, he will stop now,” Abhishek added.

The BJP sought to play down the developments. “We will see who stands where when the time comes,” Roy said.