Kolkata, Feb 27 (IANS) 2018 Asian Games Heptathlon gold medal winner Swapna Barman joined the Trinamool Congress on Friday

She is also likely to be a Trinamool candidate from any of the assembly constituencies in her native district of Jalpaiguri in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Barman arrived at the Trinamool Bhavan, the state headquarters of Trinamool, on Friday afternoon and was welcomed into the party by state Education Minister Bratya Basu and Minister of State for Finance (Independent Charge), Chandrima Bhattacharya.

She was officially inducted into the party by Bhattacharya, who handed over to her the Trinamool Congress flag.

"I am always inspired by the life of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. That inspiration prompted me to join Trinamool Congress. I want to work for the welfare of the common people, and I think that Trinamool Congress is the best platform for that," Barman told media persons after joining the ruling party.

Also present on the occasion was senior Trinamool leader and Siliguri Municipal Corporation Mayor, Gautam Deb, who was all praise about Barman. "She had made the Indians proud in the international sports arena. Now, after joining politics, she would be able to dedicate herself to the development of sports in the state," he said.

In his remarks on the occasion, Basu referred to the protests by wrestlers at New Delhi and said that the manner in which they were treated by the Delhi Police then proved the attitude of Bharatiya Janata Party towards sport personalities.

Barman won gold at the 2018 Asian Games. But later she announced her retirement from her sports life due to injuries. She is currently employed with the Indian Railways.

In January, Chief Minister Banerjee felicitated her at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Mahakal Temple in Siliguri. Both of them had a brief interaction at that point in time . Speculations surfaced then only about the possibilities of Barman joining the Trinamool.

--IANS

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