Kolkata, Oct 27 (IANS): With another BJP MLA Harakali Pratihar switching to the Trinamool Congress, saffron camp's strength in the West Bengal Assembly has dropped to 67.

In the 2021 state Assembly elections, BJP's strength was 77.

Two elected BJP legislators namely Nisith Pramanik from Dinhata constituency in Cooch Behar district and Jagannath Sarkar, the then central ministers, resigned to retain their ministerial as well as Lok Sabha chairs. However in the by-elections, BJP got defeated from both the constituencies, reducing its tally to 75.

Thereafter, six more elected BJP legislators namely Mukul Roy from Krishnanagar (North) in Nadia district, Biswajit Das from Bagda in North 24 Parganas district, Tanmoy Ghosh from Bishnupur in Bankura, Soumen Roy from Kaliaganj in North Dinajpur, Krishna Kalyani from Raiganj also in North Dinajpur and Suman Kanjilal from Alipurduar shifted to the ruling camp one after another, thus bringing down BJP's tally in the state assembly to 69.

Recently, in the by-election to Dhupguri assembly constituency in Jalpaiguri district, which was necessitated following the sudden demise of the erstwhile BJP legislator Bishnu Pada Roy, the BJP candidate got defeated, thus declining their tally in assembly to 68 then.

Now, with Pratihar, BJP MLA from Katulpur assembly constituency in Bankura district, changing loyalty, the strength of the saffron camp in the state assembly has finally dropped to 67.