Kolkata

Former Bengal cricketer Shib Shankar Paul, Santal academic Tanushree Hansda and Islamic scholar Md Mufti Abdul Matin joined the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday.

Paul, a former fast bowler who played first-class cricket for Bengal, currently runs cricket academies in Kolkata, Tufanganj and Cooch Behar, focusing on nurturing young talent at the grassroots level.

Welcoming the new entrants, state Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya praised Paul’s contribution to sports and highlighted the state government’s ‘Khelashree’ scheme, under which financial support has been extended to thousands of clubs, coaching camps and sports organisations.

Matin, widely known as Matin Saheb, is associated with 86 madrasas across districts such as North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Murshidabad.

Hansda, an assistant professor and head of the Bengali department at Heramba Chandra College in Kolkata, has more than 15 years of teaching experience. She is also actively involved with the All India Santali Writers’ Association and has worked at the grassroots level in districts including Bankura, Jhargram and Purulia.

Bhattacharya said Hansda’s achievements reflect positively on the state and reiterated that the Mamata Banerjee government has consistently prioritised the empowerment of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

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The 294-member West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.