West Bengal political heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari joins BJP; 9 MLAs, 1 MP also change sides
Midnapore (WB): West Bengal political heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari along with nine MLAs of different parties and a TMC MP joined the BJP at Home Minister Amit Shah's rally in Midnapore on Saturday, ending weeks of speculations.
Adhikari resigned from the Trinamool Congress earlier this week, besides giving up his cabinet portfolios in the Mamata Banerjee government. He has also resigned as an MLA but it is yet to be accepted.
Two-time TMC MP from Bardhaman Purba Lok Sabha constituency Sunil Mondal also joined the BJP. He has been vocal about his differences with the party's leadership over the last few days.
Among the MLAs who switched over to the BJP are five from the TMC.
TMC MLAs Banasri Maity, Silbhdrada Dutta, Biswajit Kundu, Sukra Munda and Saikat Panja took up the saffron flags at the mammoth rally at the College Grounds here.
MLA Dipali Biswas, who had won the Gajole seat in 2016 on a CPI(M) ticket but joined the TMC in 2018, was also inducted into the BJP. She has not resigned as a CPI(M) MLA.
Haldia's CPI(M) MLA Tapasi Mandal, Tamluk's CPI MLA Ashok Dinda and Congress MLA from Purulia Sudip Mukherjee also joined the BJP at the rally.
Former TMC MP Dasarth Tirkey also joined the BJP.
Several district-level leaders of the TMC, Left and Congress, including former minister Shyamaprasad Mukherjee, also changed sides and joined the BJP.
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Sport must go on: Sourav Ganguly on India-Pakistan Asia Cup clash
Kolkata, Jul 27 (PTI): Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Sunday said he has no issues with India being placed in the same group as Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup, asserting that while terrorism must end, sport must continue.
As per the schedule, arch-rivals India and Pakistan are clubbed in Group A and are set to face off at the Dubai International Stadium on September 14.
"I'm okay with the schedule. Sport must continue. What happened in Pahalgam should never happen, but we can’t let that stop the game. Terrorism must end. India has taken a firm stand against it, it’s in the past now. Sport must go on," Ganguly told PTI.
The T20 tournament will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 9 to 28.
India will begin their campaign against UAE on September 10 and are expected to play all their matches in Dubai. India and Pakistan could also meet again in the Super Four stage on September 21.
Group A comprises India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman, while Group B includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) will allow 17-member squads for the 19-match tournament, with matches scheduled in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
While the BCCI is the official host, the tournament is being held in the UAE as India and Pakistan have agreed to play only at neutral venues till 2027 due to ongoing cross-border tensions.
The two countries had come close to the brink of war following the Pahalgam attack, to which India responded with Operation Sindoor.
