Kolkata, July 9 -- Terming the defection of three former TMC Rajya Sabha MPs to the BJP, Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen said that the exit of former leaders will make "no difference" to the opposition party in West Bengal.

Speaking to reporters in Kolkata after the three prominent former TMC leaders, Sushmita Dev, Prakash Chik Baraik, and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, switched to the BJP, Sen emphasised that party leaders are secondary to Mamata Banerjee and the mandate of the common people.

"It makes no difference. We have already responded to this, and the public will respond too. We are all secondary factors. Mamata ji nominates us and asks the people to vote for us, and that is how we get votes and become MPs or MLAs. It doesn't really matte...