Actor Nafisa Ali, Mrinalini Deshprabhu join TMC in Goa in presence of Mamata Banerjee

Ahead of Goa Polls 2022, the Trinamool Congress on Friday inducted Bollywood actor Nafisa Ali and Mrinalini Deshprabhu into the party. The two joined the TMC in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC MP Derek O' Brien. Announcing their induction into the party, the official handle of the TMC shared pictures of Ali and Deshprabhu on their social media handle. "We wholeheartedly welcome both leaders![sic]," the TMC said. 

Nafisa Ali has served in the Congress party and had contested the 2004 Lok Sabha elections unsuccessfully from South Kolkata. She also had a brief stint with the Samajwadi Party in 2009, following which she returned to the Congress folds. Mrinalini Deshprabhu is an activist from Goa.

Mamata Banerjee's Goa tour

Earlier today, the TMC kicked off its Goa campaign with Mamata Banerjee's address to party cadres in Panaji. The TMC supremo promised to make Goa 'as strong as Bengal' and attacked the Congress party asking, "What has Congress done for 65-70 years?" She also flaunted her connection to Goa, warning the BJP, "Your Dadagiri will not work here."

Addressing TMC cadres in Panaji, she said, "I believe in secularism. I believe in democracy. I am not an outsider in goa. I will make goa a strong state like Bengal. Poverty has decreased by 40% in Bengal."

Banerjee is currently in Goa for a 3-day tour to kick off Trinamool's campaign in the state. As per her schedule, the WB CM is expected to go to Betim to meet the fishermen community after meeting with her party leaders of Goa. Around 1 pm, she will be briefing the media and following that she will be visiting three temples — Mangueshi, Shri Mahalsa Narayani and Tapobhoomi, back to back. Banerjee will conclude her Friday schedule after interaction with Civil Society Members.

BJP, which won only 13 seats in the 2017 Goa elections, had formed a government with the support of 3 MGP MLAs, 3 GFP MLAs, two Independents and an NCP MLA. After suffering a major blow post the demise of its stalwart leader Manohar Parrikar in 2019, Pramod Sawant took over as the CM. This year, the party is facing a tough fight with both AAP and TMC seeking to make inroads in Goa in the wake of a weakened Congress state unit. Goa Polls are scheduled for February 2022. 

(Image: @AITCofficial/Twitter)