Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MLA Jitendra Tiwari, who had staged a dramatic return to TMC after threatening to join BJP in December, has now joined BJP.The two-time MLA from Pandabeswar in Paschim Barddhaman district was also Asansol mayor at one point.Reacting to the development, the TMC said it is “good riddance” in the pre-poll stage. Elections to the 294-member state assembly will be held in eight phases from March 27 to April 29.Last year, as former TMC heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari jumped ship, he had held talks with Tiwari on the latter joining him in the move.However, BJP did not appear too intent on Tiwari and consequently, Tiwari had mellowed down. Union minister and Asansol MP Babul Supriyo had been among the key figures opposed to Tiwari’s entry into BJP. State general secretary Sayantan Basu and state Mahila Morcha chief Agnimitra Paul had also been vocal against his induction.Basu and Paul were issued show-cause notices by BJP for openly speaking on the issue.On March 2, in the presence of party state chief Dilip Ghosh at a programme in Sreerampur in Hooghly district, Tiwari formally joined BJP.“I have joined the BJP as I want to work for the development of the state. In TMC, it was no longer possible to work for the party,” he said.Supriyo too struck a conciliatory tone. He told reporters, “When Jitendra was the TMC district chief, our main fight was against him in Asansol. But now, if he is willing to join our party, I can’t oppose it. We will work together.”TMC’s reactionTiwari had resigned from the post of the chairman of the Board of Administrators of the Asansol Municipal Corporation and the TMC district chief in December last year.His role in the party had been severely limited after his return. Local media reports had said that it was highlight unlikely that Tiwari would even be name the Pandabeswar candidate.“It’s good riddance that he (Tiwari) has left. But let me say one thing: Those who have switched over will regret their decision after the elections,” TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said.(With PTI inputs)