Congress councillors join Trinamool Cong

Ahead of the panchayat elections in West Bengal, nine Congress councillors of Dhulian municipality in Murshidabad today switched over to the Trinamool Congress in a blow to the district's party strongman and Minister of state for Railways Adhir Chowdhury.
"Nine Congress councillors of Dhulian municipality joined Trinamool Congress in protest against the anti-people policies of the Centre," General Secretary of Trinamool Congress Mukul Roy said here.
The nine councillors informed the district magistrate about joining the TMC, Roy said.
The change of sides came days after the defeat of TMC candidate Humayan Kabir in the Rejinagar assembly by-election in Murshidabad.

Kabir, a former associate of Chowdhury had joined TMC and was made a minister, but was defeated by Congress candidate Rabiul Alam.
Kabir who met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday had said that he was asked to continue as minister, which led Chowdhury to claim that it was a signal by the TMC chief that if a Congressman switched over, she would stand by him in victory and defeat.