Cricketer Manoj Tiwary denies he's joining Mamata's Trinamool before Bengal elections

In the latest development, Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary rejected reports of him joining the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) ahead of the Assembly elections in the state. Reports of the Bengal cricketer joining the TMC on February 24 emerged on Tuesday following which Manoj Tiwary rubbished these reports. Speaking to Republic, Manoj Tiwary categorically denied reports of joining the TMC on Wednesday. 

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Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sougata Roy on Monday said that the party is preparing in "every possible way". Hitting out at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the TMC MP said, "BJP is trying to bring outsiders to put pressure." By outsiders, Sougata Roy pointed towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Stating that the saffron party is left with no allies, Roy said that BJP's only ally is ED, CBI and they are trying to use them in every possible way. However, TMC is not going to be threatened by him, he added. His remarks came on the back of the CBI issuing summons to Abhishek Banerjee's wife in the coal smuggling case.

READ | 'TMC Will Win West Bengal Elections easily; BJP's Only Allies Are ED & CBI': Sougata Roy

BJP eyes win in WB polls; onboards ex-TMC leaders and film stars

After BJP won 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the 2019 General Election, it intensified efforts to make major inroads in the WB Assembly polls due in April-May this year. Both Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have exuded confidence in BJP winning more than 200 seats in the 294-member WB Assembly. In a big boost to the party, ex-MLAs Suvendu Adhikari, Silbhadra Dutta, Tapasi Mondal, Ashoke Dinda, Sudip Mukherjee, Saikat Panja, Dipali Biswas, Sukra Munda, Shyamapda Mukherjee, Biswajit Kundu and Banasri Maity and TMC MP Sunil Mondal joined BJP in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a rally in Midnapore on December 19, 2020. In another setback for the Mamata Banerjee-led party 5 former TMC leaders- Rajib Banerjee, Prabir Ghosal, Baishali Dalmiya, Rathin Chakraborty and Rudranil Ghosh switched allegiance to BJP on January 30. 

Film star Prosenjit Chatterjee who essayed the role of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on the silver screen also joined the BJP. Similarly, in Kerala, the saffron party has convinced 'Metro Man of India' E Sreedharan to join.

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West Bengal polls

Meanwhile, the BJP has claimed it will win 200 seats in the elections, while the TMC, via poll strategist Prashant Kishor, has contended that the saffron party won't cross 99. West Bengal assembly with 294 seats will go to polls in April-May 2021, Trinamool holds 222 seats. BJP has made major inroads in the state in the Lok Sabha elections winning 18 seats and establishing itself as the major opposition force in the state. Mamata Banerjee has announced that she will contest polls from Nandigram, the place that paved way for her rule in the state, and her ex-aide Suvendu Adhikari - who is now in BJP - has vowed to defeat her. 

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