West Bengal: Ahead Of Elections, AIMIM's State Unit President Switches Camp To Mamata Banerjee's TMC

In a setback for the Asaduddin Owaisi led AIMIM, his party's West Bengal unit's president SK Abdul Kalam has quit the party and joined Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress (TMC) merely months before the State Assembly elections, reports Times of India.

Kalam joined TMC with several other members of AIMIM's WB unit at TMC's headquarters in Kolkata. He tried to reason why he switched camp to TMC by asserting that there has been an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity in the State for several years. he said that he switched sides to keep "poisonous air" at bay.

Kalam pushed, "We have seen that West Bengal used to be an oasis of peace. but of late, the air has become poisonous and this has to be set right." He further added that AIMIM foray in the State should have come in the past and that a political entry in the present would lead to cutting of votes which "is not desirable at all".

Meanwhile, it should be noted that before this, in November, AIMIM's key leader in West Bengal, Anwar pasha had also switched camp to TMC along with some of his colleagues.

The State is set to undergo Assembly elections in April-May.