Around 70 BJP workers from of Kalna Assembly seat in East Burdwan joined Trinamul late on Friday to express their disgust with the BJP for nominating controversial Trinamul turncoat Biswajit Kundu.

“We left Trinamul six years ago for the BJP to protest Kundu’s corruption. We were shocked when Kundu joined the BJP and got the ticket,” said Prabir Mondal, one of the 70 BJP workers who switched sides.

Before switching over to Trinamul, the BJP workers had blocked a road in Kalna town on Friday evening demanding change of nominee.

“Despite our protests, senior BJP leaders asked us to support Kundu as his name came from Delhi. Senior leaders may have their own interest in supporting Kundu, but we could not accept him. So, we decided to quit the party,” said another.

Senior Trinamul leaders in Kalna said they had received proposals from around 500 BJP workers who are willing to switch sides following Kundu’s nomination.

“Kundu joined the BJP after he came to know that Trinamul won’t give him a ticket over allegations of corruption against him,” Pranab Roy, Trinamul’s Kalna II block president, said.