Satyaranjan, it is widely believed, will be pitted against his sister-in-law and Union minister of state for urban development Deepa Das Munshi, Priyaranjan's wife, in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in their bastion of North Dinajpur's Raiganj.
The elation at Trinamool Bhawan, where Trinamool national secretary Mukul Roy handed the party flag to Satyaranjan and his aides, was not felt back home in North Dinajpur's Kaliachowk where the Das Munshi family lives.
District Congress president Mohit Sengupta was caustic, "All I know of Satyaranjan's political antecedents is that he had on a few occasions been seen with his elder brother Priyaranjan at public meetings. He was never a whole-time Congress party worker either. He was never an active member of Congress. The party will not be harmed if he leaves."
Deepa said: "I do not want to react to this. If he wants to, he can join Trinamool or any other party. People are seeing this and it is they who will decide at the end."
Sources said Satyaranjan was a Congress member from 1972 to 1990.
After North Dinajpur, Trinamool is eyeing another defection on November 10 which will allow it to gain toehold in the Left Front-run Old Malda Municipality. All six Congress councillors of this civic board are set to join Trinamool. In the 18-seat strong Old Malda Municipality, Left Front has 12 councillors and Congress 6.
Congress MP Mousam Noor did not hide her disappointment. Noor said: "I had heard of the Old Malda councillor's plan to defect. I had a talk with them. But I'm not confident that they could be retained in our party as the temptation is huge on the other side." She conceded, "It will be a great loss for our party."
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