Kolkata, Jul 31 (IANS): A year after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Trinamool Congress' former North Dinajpur district President Biplab Mitra on Friday returned to West Bengal's ruling party.

Mitra rejoined the Trinamool in the presence of its Secretary General Partha Chatterjee. His brother Prashanta Mitra, who had also switched sides, came back too - a few days after Chief Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee urged all those who had left the party to return.

Banerjee gave the call in her address at the July 21 Martyrs' Day rally - held virtually this year.

"I am indebted to Mamata Banerjee and I have been with her since the inception of the party in 1998. Later for some reason, I was disillusioned and had joined the BJP. But I am looking forward to working with Didi once again for the upcoming assembly elections scheduled in 2021," Mitra told media persons.

The North Dinajpur leader had joined the saffron brigade after the BJP's unprecedented political surge in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when they swept 18 out of the state's 42 seats.