New Delhi, Sept. 16 -- Economist and social activist Prasenjit Bose joined the Congress party in Kolkata on 15 September.

Bose, 51, who is well known in the social and political circles of West Bengal, had resigned from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 2012 over differences with the party over supporting Pranab Mukherjee's candidature as the President of India.

Bose was an active student leader at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and one of the best-known strategists of the SFI, CPI(M)-backed Students' Federation of India (SFI), from the mid-1990s to early 2000s.

Bose is not the first ex-Left leader to join the Congress party. At least eight former JNUSU presidents from Left organisations have joined the Congress party in the...