Former athlete and CPI(M) MP Jyotirmoyee Sikdar has reportedly joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday. Speculations were rife that Sikdar was joining the BJP after she met with West Bengal party president Dilip Ghosh for the ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ programme earlier.
As per reports, Ghosh had met Sikdar at her home and offered her a lotus, symbolising an offer to join the saffron party. The West Bengal Assembly elections are slated to be held next year, and the former MP had shown great interest in joining the BJP before the polls, media reports said.
Sikdar, a middle distance runner, represented India in the Asian Athletics Championships in 1995 and 1998, and participated in the 800 m and 1,500 m events. She won many laurels for the country, including gold and bronze medals, and also went on to win gold medals in the 1998 Asian Games held in Bangkok.
The 50-year-old entered politics in 2004 when she contested from the Krishnanagar seat on a CPI(M) ticket in the Lok Sabha elections, and defeated BJP candidate Satyabrata Mookherjee.
In the 2009 elections, Sikdar again contested from Krishnanagar constituency, but lost to actor-turned-politician Tapas Paul.
Following her defeat, Sikdar stayed away from political limelight till last year, when she resurfaced and pledged her support to the ruling Trinamool Congress party.
The athlete-turned-politician had said in May last year that she was attracted by the all-round development carried out in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.