Kolkata: Two months after losing his cabinet berth in the Narendra Modi government, MP Babul Supriyo joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Saturday in the presence of Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s national general secretary and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew. Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien was also present.
Supriyo, who was the BJP’s MP from Asansol, is likely to be sent to the Rajya Sabha as a Trinamool representative as he is “well versed and witty”, a senior party leader told ThePrint.
Arpita Ghosh, a former Trinamool MP in the Rajya Sabha, had stepped down two days ago, stating she wanted to work for the party in the state. Ghosh was sent to the upper house a year ago after she lost the Lok Sabha election.
Supriyo had announced his retirement from politics in a Facebook post in July, weeks after he was dropped from Modi’s cabinet in the reshuffle. A few days later, the singer-turned-politician said he would remain as an MP, but quit active politics. He added that he would not join any other political party.
Addressing media after joining the Trinamool, Supriyo said, “I will play by the rule book and by the ethical book. I will meet Mamata Banerjee on Monday.”
He added that the latest events had taken place over the past three days. “I said it several times that I will leave politics from core of my heart. There is no politics of revenge. I’m very excited to start work in the TMC. Leaving politics wasn’t a drama.”
The new Trinamool leader had met with Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata earlier in the day. Following a closed door meeting, the party issued an official statement announcing Supriyo had joined Trinamool. The shift in political allegiance comes ahead of CM Mamata contesting the Bhabanipur bypolls, in which she will face BJP’s Priyanka Tibrewal.
As it happens, Supriyo had tweeted in support of Tibrewal, who he said had represented him in several legal cases.
Meanwhile, the Union home affairs ministry issued an order downgrading Supriyo’s security cover to Y category from Z.
Leaders in the BJP have downplayed the latest development, calling the MP a “spent force”, and Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh saying it won’t affect the BJP “in anyway”.
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BJP and Supriyo
Speaking to ThePrint, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said, “He (Supriyo) wanted to quit party days after losing his cabinet berth. Modi ji made him a minister at the beginning of his political career. But he could not handle losing a ministerial berth and joined Trinamool. This explains his loyalty. His decision will not affect our organisation in anyway.”
A senior BJP leader, on the condition of anonymity, said, “This is surprising and amusing to see him shaking hands with the person whom he targeted most, calling him Bhaipo (nephew) all the time. He brought so many charges against him. He was disgruntled in the BJP for long.”
Supriyo was one of two BJP MPs to win from Bengal in 2014, and went on to win the Asansol seat again in 2019. His name also featured on the BJP’s list of star campaigners for the upcoming bypolls.
However, his acrimony with Ghosh has been an issue in the Bengal unit of the BJP. The two have been loggerheads, and even publicly ridiculed each other several times.
According to a BJP leader, Supriyo wanted to play an active role in the party’s organisation in the state, but Ghosh would not allow it.
Supriyo was against inducting Trinamool turncoats into the BJP, especially in Asansol, ahead of the state assembly election that took place this April-May.
However, the party’s performance in the election, which saw the Trinamool come back to power, saw his political fortunes decline, with Supriyo losing his cabinet berth.
In his Facebook post announcing his decision to quit politics, Supriyo had said he will live his life as a singer.
(Edited by Manasa Mohan)
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