Trinamool Congress expels Bolpur MP Anupam Hazra for anti-party activities

Hours after Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saumitra Khan joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, the ruling party of the West Bengal expelled its Bolpur MP Anupam Hazra for anti-party activities. Hazra - a former professor at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan in West Bengal - was elected to the Lok Sabha in May 2014. 

"Time and again Anupam Hazra (Lok Sabha MP from Bolpur) has done activities that don't match with the ideologies of the party. We have suspended him," said Partha Chatterjee, TMC Secretary General. According to sources, he too can join the BJP. 

Partha Chatterjee, TMC Secretary-General: Time and again Anupam Hazra (Lok Sabha MP from Bolpur) has done activities that don't match with the ideologies of the party. We have suspended him. (File pic: Anupam Hazra) pic.twitter.com/thrlNBg70h

— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2019

Earlier in the day, the party had expelled Bishnupur Lok Sabha seat MP Saumitra Khan, who later joined the BJP. Khan, who joined the BJP following a meeting with party chief Amit Shah, lashed out at TMC president and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that there was no democracy, but "police raj" in the state.     

"There is no democracy in the state. People cannot vote. Police raj is there," he told reporters at a press conference here. Khan represents the Bishnupur constituency in the Lok Sabha and was earlier a member of the state assembly as well," he said.

"There is an atmosphere in the favour of the BJP. Eastern India will provide a strong pillar for the government's return to power at the Centre in the Lok Sabha polls," Pradhan, Pradhan made the announcement of Khan joining the party, said.