Trinamul Congress MLA and former Asansol mayor Jitendra Tiwari joined the BJP at a rally attended by the saffron party’s Bengal president Dilip Ghosh at Baidyabati in Hooghly district on Tuesday.

“I am glad that the BJP has given me some space in their family and I will now work under the leadership of Narendra Modi. I have no allegation to raise against anyone but I must say that from now, I will be able to say whatever in my mind freely,” Tiwari, the Pandaveswar MLA, said after receiving the BJP flag from Ghosh.

At the end, Tiwari who had recently been appointed the spokesperson for Trinamul’s Hindi cell by Mamata Banerjee, chanted “Jai Sree Ram”. “Since my childhood, I have been chanting ‘Jai Sree Ram’ but now, I will be able to chant it openly from the dais,” he said.

There had been speculation about Tiwari’s defection to the BJP since December last year after he had fired off a “confidential” letter to urban development minister Firhad Hakim expressing his “grief” over not getting central funds under the Smart City project because of “political reasons”.

In his letter dated December 13, Tiwari, who was then the chairman of the board of administrators at the Asansol Municipal Corporation, had apparently accused the Mamata Banerjee government of not allowing him to receive the funds because of “political reasons” and thus hampering the town’s development.

Two days after sending the letter, Tiwari quit the post of chairman and president of Trinamul in West Burdwan. On the same day, he attended a meeting with former minister Suvendu Adhikari at ex-Trinamul MP Sunil Mandal’s house in East Burdwan’s Galsi.

Both Adhikari and Mandal later defected to the BJP but Tiwari’s induction was stalled as a section of BJP leaders, including junior Union minister Babul Supriyo, raised objections.

Later, Tiwari met chief minister Mamata Banerjee and told the media that he had made a mistake and apologised to Didi.

Although Tiwari was appointed as the spokesperson for Trinamul’s Hindi cell, he lost his acceptance among party rank and file. “His rivals in Trinamul were not allowing him to work. He got involved in a scuffle with a Trinamul leader at a meeting at Andal recently and he had no other alternative than to join the BJP,” said the source.

The sources said the relation between Babul and Tiwari had been very “unpleasant” since the 2014 general election. Tiwari had accused the singer-turned politician contesting for the first time from Asansol as a BJP candidate of carrying illegal firearms and campaigning in drunken condition.

However, Babul on Tuesday said many people were leaving Trinamul and the CPM and there was now nothing in it. “Tiwari’s induction had been under consideration for the past one month. Many people are now coming to the BJP from Trinamul and the CPM. It is a fact that there were bitter relations between us but there is no need to recall such memories now. We will put the past behind and work together for the development of Asansol,” said Babul.

Trinamul secretary general Partha Chatterjee said Tiwari’s desertion would have no impact on the party. “We have no loss. People have faith in Mamata Banerjee. Those leaving Trinamul will regret after the elections,” he said.