Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Mausam Noor on Saturday rejoined the Congress, triggering sharp political reactions across parties. Noor, whose Rajya Sabha term ends in April, is expected to contest the upcoming Assembly polls from Malda, a region where she has strong political roots.

Mausam Noor formally returned to the Congress at the party headquarters in the presence of senior leaders including Jairam Ramesh, AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmed Mir, and West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Shubhankar Sarkar. Party leaders welcomed her back, describing her return as a boost ahead of the crucial state elections.

Speaking after rejoining the party, Noor said she wanted to carry forward the political legacy of her uncle, veteran Congress leader Ghani Khan Chaudhary. Noor had earlier served as a two-time Lok Sabha MP from Malda between 2009 and 2019 on a Congress ticket before moving to the TMC.

BJP attacks Mamata Banerjee, calls TMC ‘desperate’
The BJP was quick to react to Noor’s exit from the TMC. BJP co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya said the development exposed the ruling party’s weakening position ahead of the polls.

Malviya claimed that the TMC was in “dire straits” if its Rajya Sabha MPs were willing to give up their terms and move to a party with limited organisational strength in the state. He further alleged that Muslim voters were turning away from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, contradicting what he described as her assumption of a “captive vote bank.”

In a strongly worded statement on social media, Malviya said Banerjee’s political approach had alienated multiple sections of society. He accused the TMC chief of focusing on divisive politics, claiming that Hindus were dissatisfied with her governance while Muslims were now shifting their support to other leaders.

“Politics of division has a shelf life, and Mamata Banerjee is learning that lesson the hard way,” Malviya said.