Some months back, the 50-year-old leader was dropped from the Narendra Modi-led Cabinet
Spl Correspondent Kolkata
In a major blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party, former Union minister Babul Supriyo joined the Trinamool Congress on Saturday in Kolkata.
“Today, in the presence of National General Secretary @abhishekaitc and RS MP @derekobrienmp, former Union Minister and sitting MP @SuPriyoBabul joined the Trinamool family. We take this opportunity to extend a very warm welcome to him!” the TMC tweeted.
Supriyo has national presence and therefore TMC zeroed on him. TMC told him to keep this under wraps. When Supriyo was announced as a star campaigner for Bhabanipur by the BJP, he categorically pointed out that he will not campaign.
Sources say TMC’s strategy was to give a big blow to the BJP before Bhabanipur and hence the joining took place today.
TMC thinks Supriyo has national presence, including in the North East, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa region. TMC is planning to start more activity in Delhi and Supriyo can give National perspective to TMC, the party feels.
On July 31, Supriyo had said that he was quitting politics and would soon resign from the Lok Sabha. The announcement had come weeks after the 50-year-old was dropped from the Narendra Modi-led Cabinet.
In the same post, he also ruled out joining any other political party — TMC, Congress or the CPI(M). He, however, later edited the post to remove this part. “I had given seven years moving away from music. But then I felt that everything had come to a full stop. I was disillusioned. I had said from my heart that I was quitting politics. My friends told me that my decision to quit politics was emotional and wrong. There is no politics of revenge. I am happy that I am changing my decision and coming back,” Supriyo said while adding that the TMC would soon reveal what responsibilities would be given to him.
Supriyo, a two-time MP from Asansol who was the Union minister of state for environment was dropped from the Cabinet in a major reshuffle on July 7. Earlier he had contested the West Bengal assembly elections but was defeated by heavyweight TMC leader and state minister Arup Biswas from Tollygunge.
“He joined the BJP with a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections and was given a ministerial berth after winning. Now that his ministerial berth is gone he is joining the TMC despite the fact he had said in his post that he is leaving politics and won’t join any party. I don’t think this is transparency and reveals a good side. This could be a blow to his credibility,” said Rahul Sinha, senior BJP leader.
“I don’t think it would be a big oranisational blow to the BJP as Supriyo was not given any such portfolio to strengthen the party. But this definitely would be a blow to the party as far as public perception is concerned. With one after another leader quitting the party, a message is going out that not only has the BJP lost the assembly polls, the party may not continue to remain a strong opposition,” said Biswanath Chakraborty, political commentator.
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