Indicating a shift in his allegiance, former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Chandan Mitra will be seen on the stage with Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on July 21 in her annual mega rally in central Kolkata.

Besides being a scholar and a senior journalist, Mitra has been a two-time Member of Parliament.

Mitra was first an MP from 2003 to 2009 and then represented the BJP from Madhya Pradesh from 2010 to 2016 in the Rajya sabha.

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He had also fought the 2014 Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket from the Hooghly constituency but finished third, with TMC topping the list and winning the seat.

A senior leader and parliamentarian from Trinamool Congress confirmed and said, “He is joining TMC and hopefully July 21 is the most convenient day to answer BJP in its own style.”

Till now, both sides have been eroding the other, with Mukul Roy joining the BJP and BJP winning candidates in recent Panchayat elections switching to the TMC.