Mausam Noor Returns to Congress as BJP Claims Muslim Vote Ebb for Mamata
Mausam Noor Returns to Congress as BJP Claims Muslim Vote Ebb for Mamata
Mausam Noor, a TMC Rajya Sabha MP, re-joins Congress ahead of West Bengal polls, prompting BJP to claim Muslim voters are deserting Mamata Banerjee.
In a high-stakes move ahead of the West Bengal assembly polls, Mausam Noor, a Rajya Sabha MP from the Trinamool Congress, joined the Congress at its headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday. Noor, who had left the Congress seven years ago, said she wanted to carry forward the legacy of her uncle Ghani Khan Chaudhary and indicated she is likely to contest the Maldah seat in the upcoming elections. Her tenure as a Rajya Sabha MP ends in April, adding urgency to her decision to switch sides.
The development drew an immediate reaction from the BJP, which argued that Noor’s departure reflects a broader erosion of the TMC’s support base among Muslim voters. Amit Malviya, the BJP’s point person for the state, claimed the move showed that Muslim voters are deserting Mamata Banerjee and that the Trinamool’s “desperation to appease one section” has backfired, leaving Hindus disillusioned as well.
Noor herself framed the move as a bid for change in West Bengal. She told reporters that she has faith in Congress leadership and reiterated her intent to serve the people of Bengal through a party she believes can deliver governance and development. Analysts note that Noor’s return underscores the shifting political currents in Bengal, where parties are recalibrating alliances as the polls loom.
The Congress welcomed Noor, with party officials Jairam Ramesh and Ghulam Ahmad Mir publicly greeting her at the New Delhi office. The Malda-linked move is particularly significant given Malda’s political salience in Muslim-majority constituencies, where both Congress and BJP contend for influence. Noor’s history as a two-time Lok Sabha MP and her family connection to Ghani Khan Chaudhary add to the narratives around who can mobilize local voters in this phase of Bengal’s electoral contest.
As campaigns accelerate, the question remains how Noor’s switch will shape the arithmetic in Malda and neighboring areas, and whether the Congress can convert a high-profile defection into tangible votes. The coming weeks will reveal whether this shift signals a broader realignment or remains an isolated decision in a crowded election landscape.
