Former Union Minister, Yashwant Sinha, who joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) just a few days ago, was made party vice president and a member of the party's national working committee.
Sinha, who has served as finance minister and external affairs minister under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was inducted into the TMC on 13 March. His joining came just weeks before the upcoming assembly polls in West Bengal.
Sinha quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2018 after being a severe critic of the Narendra Modi government.
The party's decision was communicated to Sinha through a letter signed by General Secretary Subrata Bakshi.
“The tipping point was the attack on Mamata Banerjee (in Nandigram). This government can do anything to win the election. The attack on Mamataji made me decide that I want to work beside her,” said Sinha while joining the party.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was injured in the constituency of Nandigram, where she's the candidate for the election, while on the campaign trail. The Trinamool has called the incident an "attack" by the BJP, while the latter has dismissed the claim.
"The country is in a strange position. That's because the values we held in high regard, today those values are in danger. We are aware that democracy's strength lies in the institutions of democracy. Today all institutions have been weakened. I say it with regret that this includes the judiciary. That is why there's no one to question the will of the government", Sinha had further said, when asked why he was joining the BJP.
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