Kolkata, Oct 6 (IANS): In an interesting development, BJP's Tripura MLA Ashis Das after offering puja at Kalighat temple and shaving head as an "act of atonement" for being associated with "a communal party", announced that he is leaving the party.

Though there are strong rumours of Das' joining Trinamool Congress but the BJP MLA from Surma constituency didn't divulge the details regarding joining the new party.

Terming BJP as a 'communal political party', Das said, "BJP promised a lot of things but not a single commitment has been fulfilled. People wanted to end the 25 years of Left rule and I was also one of them. I joined the BJP because I thought it would work for the betterment of the people. I did wrong with the people of Tripura and so I decided to go for penance."

Speaking highly of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the BJP MLA who came from a farmer's family said, "If Mamata didi becomes the PM, it will be justice for Bengalis and undo the wrong of decades. It will be a matter of pride for all Bengalis. Also, after Indira Gandhi, a woman will wield the power in the country."

When asked about joining Trinamool Congress, Das said, "I am here in Kolkata because the entire country is looking at Mamata di (Mamata Banerjee) to save India from a communal party like BJP. After the 2021 assembly poll results in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee has emerged as a strong contender to take on Narendra Modi. I personally believe that it's only Mamata Banerjee who can free India from the BJP. I came here to seek her blessings and soon things will be clear (on his stand)."

He, however, claimed that he has not met Mamata Banerjee yet but didn't deny or accept his communication with her nephew and All India Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

"You will get to know everything soon," he said.

Das, known for his fight against the Left for 18 long years, vowed to uproot BJP from Tripura in 2023.

With a strong Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) imprint (he had worked as a karyakarta when he was in college in 1999), he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2015, and in 2018, he won from Surma constituency in Dhalai district in Tripura on a BJP ticket.

After a brief stint in BJP (a little more than two years), he once again took a pledge (after the humiliation he faced three days before his marriage in 2012) to fight politically against Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb because of his anti-people policies.

Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in Tripura in early 2023 and TMC is leaving no stone unturned to oust the BJP government in the state.