Reported by Sanchita chatterjee March 21 :
A Dominant Trinamool Leader from Bhangar, Accompanied by Hundreds of Workers, Joins the 'Am Janata Unnayan Party'
A formal induction ceremony for the Am Janata Unnayan Party was held at Maulana Bagh in Basirhat. During this event, Ibrahim Molla—an influential Trinamool leader from the Bhangar region of South 24 Parganas—formally joined the party, accepting membership from its State President, Khobaeb Amin. On this day, the formidable Trinamool leader Ibrahim Molla, accompanied by hundreds of Trinamool workers and supporters, officially switched allegiance to the Am Janata Unnayan Party. He is a prominent figure in the Bhagwanpur region of Bhangar-II, having served once as the Deputy Chief (Up-Pradhan) and twice as the Chief (Pradhan) of the local Panchayat body. Furthermore, he previously held the position of President of the regional Trinamool committee for the Bhagwanpur area. Upon joining the new party, he vented his grievances against the Trinamool Congress. He alleged that, under the pretext of the Panchayat elections, Abhishek Banerjee had conducted rallies across various parts of the state; during these rallies, he claimed, Panchayat election tickets were openly sold at different locations. He asserted that tickets were distributed in exchange for sums ranging from ₹2 lakh to ₹3 lakh—and in some instances, even as high as ₹5 lakh. Ibrahim Molla alleged that Abhishek Banerjee granted Panchayat tickets to individuals such as cowherds and those capable of extorting "cut money" (illegal commissions), accepting cash payments from them in return. He argued that, as a direct consequence of securing tickets through such monetary transactions, a "Mafia Raj" has taken root in Bhangar. He further contended that in Bhangar, political power is now reserved solely for those who can afford to pay crores of rupees to the party's central leadership in Kalighat. "It is for this reason," he declared, "that I, along with my workers, have come to join the Am Janata Unnayan Party."
Following the mass induction of a large number of Trinamool workers into the Am Janata Unnayan Party, the party's State President stated that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is merely "playing games" with the Muslim community. He alleged that she is utilizing Muslims to orchestrate acts of violence and murder, and is actively fostering the rise of extremist elements. Furthermore, he claimed that communities such as the Scheduled Castes (SC), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and the Matuas are being subjected to systemic deprivation. He emphasized that the common people do not merely seek government allowances or stipends; rather, they demand jobs and genuine development, noting that the rate of unemployment in West Bengal has reached an alarming peak. Consequently, he observed, people are abandoning various political parties—including the Trinamool Congress—and joining the Am Janata Unnayan Party in a desperate bid to secure a viable future for themselves.