Congress MLA Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury to switch to TMC in a boost before RS election

KOLKATA: In a boost to the ruling Trinamool Congress ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, Congress MLA Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury today announced that he would join the ruling party tomorrow.

"I will join Trinamool Congress tomorrow when the official announcement will be made and I will also vote for TMC candidates," Chowdhury, who is brother of late Congress' Malda strongman A B A Ghani Khan Choudhury, told reporters in the presence of TMC all-India general secretary Mukul Roy and Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee.

Chowdhary was the minister of state for science and technology and was among the six West Bengal ministers who resigned after Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee withdrew her party's support to the UPA government in September, 2012.

Chowdhary, the Sujapur MLA, said that he would contest the Lok Sabha elections, but did not name the seat.

The immediate reason for his defection plan from the Congress to the ruling party was reportedly the elevation of his niece Mausam Noor Congress MP from Malda North constituency as Malda district Congress chief.

The post was earlier held by his younger brother Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury, who is at present the union minister of state for health.

Chowdhary's switching sides came at a time when the exodus of Congress and Left Front councillors to the TMC continued, giving the party an absolute majority in several civic bodies.