Kolkata: Tathagata Roy’s tenure as the Governor of Meghalaya ended Tuesday, with Satya Pal Malik, who was serving as the Goa Governor, replacing him.
Roy hasn’t been given any fresh appointment and sources in the BJP said he is likely to return to West Bengal soon.
Speaking to ThePrint, Roy said he would join the BJP after returning to Bengal, but added that he would not be able to leave Meghalaya until the new governor takes charge.
Roy, whose term officially ended on 20 May, was waiting for the final communique from the President’s office, which was issued Tuesday.
He has, on multiple occasions, expressed his willingness to join politics again.
Although a section of the Bengal BJP unit is in favour of Roy contesting the upcoming assembly election, he said that he would accept any role given by the party.
‘Roy is always welcome’
Roy, 74, who was a professor at Jadavpur University in Kolkata and is the founder head of its Department of Construction Engineering, told ThePrint, “Nothing has been decided yet. I cannot leave the state until the new governor joins. So I have no time-frame now.
“I will join politics again. I am waiting for the party’s (BJP) direction on the matter,” he added.
Roy had served as the state president of BJP between 2002 and 2006 in Bengal. He fought two general elections in 2009 and 2014.
Sources in the BJP said Roy would return to the state by the end of August and join the BJP. Following this, he will visit Delhi to meet the party high command.
A senior BJP leader, who didn’t want to be named, said that Roy is willing to fight the election in 2021. “His involvement and role in the party will be discussed in a meeting with central leaders.”
Speaking to ThePrint, BJP’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said, “Tathagata Roy ji has been one of the veteran leaders of the BJP. He is always welcome. His role in the party will be decided by the central leadership.”
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