Defections have begun from the Congress to the Trinamool, which is reaping the windfall after a scrutiny of the turncoats, both at the grassroots as well and from among leaders in municipal wards and councillors ahead of the May 30 civic polls.

The state Congress leadership put up a brave front. “There will be opportunists. These people are leaving us. We consider it is good since such people, being workers or leaders or councillor, do not deserve to be in the party and would have been harmful in the long run,” said state Congress working president Pradip Bhattacharjee.

“Those who want to join us in the fight against the CPM are welcome from any party,” said Trinamool’s Partho Chatterjee, who is the leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly. The movement took place in Trinamool strongholds of West Midnapore, East Midnapore, Hooghly, North and South 24-Parganas.

Yesterday, two Congress councillors defected to Trinamool along with 500-odd supporters in Ghatal, West Midnapore. Mrigen Maity, president of district Trinamool, said, “They wanted to come to us because we are the only political force honest in fighting the CPM.”