Imphal, Jan 20 (PTI) Lone Trinamool Congress MLA Tongbram Robindro Singh on Thursday joined the ruling BJP in Manipur ahead of the assembly elections in the northeastern state, a saffron party leader said. Singh was elected from Thanga constituency in Bishnupur district on a Trinamool Congress ticket in the 2017 assembly polls and later supported the coalition government led by the BJP. Former Congress leader Yengkhom Surchandra Singh, who had left the party last month, also joined the saffron camp. They switched over to the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik, Assam Minister Ashok Singhal and party"s Manipur unit president Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi. "I join Union MoS Smt @PratimaBhoumik ji, Assam Minister Shri @TheAshokSinghal ji and office bearers to welcome Shri Yengkhom Surchandra Singh of Kakching and Shri Tongbram Robindro Singh, MLA of Thanga to the @BJP4Manipur family," Devi wrote on Twitter. The elections to the 60-member Manipur assembly will be held in two phases on February 27 and March 3. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. Devi also said the joining of the two reflects the "growing positive attitude towards the progress" of Manipur under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N Biren Singh. Robindro said he believed in the BJP leadership and pledged to work for the party. Notably, the former Congress leader, Surchandra, won from Kakching seat in 2017 but the Manipur High Court had declared his election as null and void as he did not properly disclose particulars of his assets and liabilities in the poll affidavit. PTI COR BDC BDC