In yet another jolt to the BJP, its Alipurduar district president Ganga Prasad Sharma joined the TMC on Monday, as senior leader of the state’s ruling party Mukul Roy, who also switched sides two weeks ago, claimed that this was the “beginning of the saffron party’s end” in the state.

Seven other BJP leaders from the region, too, followed in Sharma’s footsteps and joined the Mamata Banerjee camp.