Babul: No loyalty. Within minutes after severing his umbilical ties with the BJP and joining arch-rival Trinamool Congress, Asansol MP Babul Supriyo made it clear that he will not keep any links with his erstwhile political party anymore and resign from Parliament as well. The former union minister also said that his resigning from active politics was a result of his utter disillusionment and now he with an open mind is ready to accept the opportunity that has come his way.
Former union minister and BJP MP Babul Supriyo on Saturday joined West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s All India Trinamool Congress (AITC).
“Today, in the presence of National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien, former union minister and sitting MP Babul Supriyo joined the Trinamool family,” the official account of the AITC tweeted.
On July 31, Babul, also a playback singer, declared that he had quit politics and would soon resign as MP too. He had cited a difference of opinion between him and the state BJP leaders, saying that it was “harming the party”.
“I will continue to work constitutionally as an MP in Asansol. Politics is beyond the constitutional post and I withdraw myself from it. I will not join any other party. I will vacate the MP bungalow in Delhi and release security personnel from their duties soon,” he was quoted saying.
A minister in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, Supriyo was dropped in a reshuffle that took place in the month of July. Post his leaving the saffron party, he had told media that if someone asks whether leaving the politics was somehow linked to losing ministry then he said that is true to some extent. He also added differences with the senior leadership since the assembly poll campaign as another reason.
It is yet to be seen whether Supriyo will resign from his Lok Sabha seat or leave it to the Bharatiya Janata Party to move the Speaker’s office for his disqualification post the latest move.
Earlier in the day, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reduced the security cover of Babul from Z to Y category, an official ministry said.
Having joined BJP in 2014, Babul Supriyo has been elected twice from Asansol.
“I want to make one thing clear that I will not hang on to the things that don’t belong to me.
“I shall definitely resign as the MP from the Parliament and that you will come to know within two or three days.
“I shall go by the rulebook. I have some ethics that I have followed all through my life,” Supriyo told the media a few minutes after joining Trinamool Congress at Abhishek Banerjee’s office in Camac Street in South Kolkata on Saturday afternoon.
Making it clear that there was no hypocrisy in his announcement that he wanted to retire from active politics, the well-known singer said, “I have worked tirelessly for the people of Asansol for seven years and that everyone will admit.
“You all know what is the power and responsibility of a Minister-of-State is but despite that I had worked tirelessly for the development of Asansol. I never wanted to make anyone feel that I am a newcomer and have answered all the questions in Parliament.
“But suddenly I could see everything was coming to an end. There was a full-stop.
“Believe me or not this was an opportunity that suddenly came to me. Four days before I spoke to Derek (O’Brien) regarding the admission of my daughter and then the conversation started.
“I had a discussion with Didi (Mamata Banerjee) and Abhishek Banerjee and they offered me something (I won’t say the details now) that was enough to satisfy my demand to work for the people of Bengal. It was difficult to say ‘No’ to it,” he added.
“I have always wanted to work for the people and the Trinamool Congress has given me the opportunity to work for the development of Bengal. The party has given me the opportunity to work for the people. What more can I expect?” Supriyo said adding that he would be meeting the chief minister on Monday.
When asked whether he joined Trinamool to take revenge, the former union minister said, “I don’t believe in the idea of taking revenge. When I had said that I wanted to retire from active politics I did it from the core of my heart and believe me half of my household things have already arrived in Kolkata.
“It was from disillusionment and I never knew that I would get this opportunity. Now that I have got this opportunity, I wanted to accept it from the bottom of my heart. When I was in BJP I worked for the people, now I am in Trinamool I shall do the same thing”. (IANS)