Kolkata, May 29 (IANS): Veteran Congress leader and sitting legislator Rabindranath Chattopadhyay joined West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Friday.

Chattopadhay, a lawmaker from Katwa constituency in Burdwan district, switched his political allegiance in the presence of Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee and party supremo Mamata Banerjee's nephew and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee.

Ten newly-elected Congress councillors of Katwa municipality, a number of panchayat members and ordinary workers also crossed over to the Trinamool at a programme organised at the Trinamool Bhawan.

"More and more people are joining Trinamool to be a part of the surge of development and progress initiated by (chief minister) Mamata Banerjee," Chatterjee said after welcoming the new entrants to the party fold.

Echoing Chatterjee, Chattopadhyay said: "I feel development and prevalence of peace is possible only under Mamata Banerjee's leadership. So for the sake of development and peace, I have decided to quit Congress and join this party by accepting Banerjee as my leader."

Two days back, Chattopadhay had shot a letter to state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and party legislative party chief Mohammad Sohrab expressing his desire to step down as state general secretary and party's deputy leader in the assembly.

He had also told the media that party workers were reluctant to carry along the Congress flag in Katwa as many of them were facing serious criminal charges slapped by the administration.

"They don't want to be a part of the Congress any more," he said.