6 sitting, ex-Cong MPs in touch with TMC: Sources

Three sitting Congress Lok Sabha MPs and as many former Rajya Sabha members are in touch with the Trinamool Congress Party leadership to join the Mamata Banerjee-led party, sources said days before the start of the monsoon session.

They are actively engaging with the party leadership for the past some time but the party is yet to take a call, the sources said, adding the MPs include one from the north of the country and one from south.

"Three sitting Lok Sabha MPs and three former Rajya Sabha MPs, all from the Congress, are in active talks with the TMC to join the party," said a source.

On the presidential election, the sources close to the TMC said the West Bengal's ruling party is confident of some opposition MLAs cross-voting in favour of Yashwant Sinha and he would get the support of more than 220 MLAs of the state's 294-member strong assembly.

They also said the TMC expects cross-voting by some MPs too from the state.

All elected TMC representatives -- MPs and MLAs -- would cast their votes in the presidential election in Kolkata on July 18, they said.

Eyeing to expand its footprint beyond West Bengal, the TMC appointed former Meghalaya chief minister and new entrant in the party Mukul Sangma, cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad as its spokespersons along with Babul Supriyo, they said.

The sources further said like presidential election, many opposition parties have started working on a single acceptable candidate for vice-presidential election too.