Kolkata, March 23 -- In a significant political development ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, senior Congress leader Santosh Pathak joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday evening, dealing a major blow to the state Congress.
Pathak, a long-serving councillor of Ward 45 under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, has managed to retain his stronghold through the years despite the sweeping influence of the Trinamool Congress across Bengal.
Pathak formally switched allegiance at the BJP's New Town party office, where he was handed the party flag by state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya. Sources within the party indicated that Pathak is likely to be fielded as the candidate from the Chowringhee Assembly constituency, a seat he had ...