By Shashank Suresh
Babul Supriyo, a sitting BJP MP who was dismissed as Union Minister of State two months ago, joined the Trinamool Congress on Saturday, stating he was upset with what had occurred despite his “hard work and good job.” Supriyo, who was dismissed from the Narendra Modi Council of Ministers in July as part of a significant reshuffle, said he would retire as a member of Parliament.
Supriyo expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that “despite my hard effort and good job, the dismissal happened to me.” “I believe I performed some excellent work as MoS, as do many others.” TMC MP Derek O’ Brien, whom he described as a “close buddy,” had asked him if he wanted to join the party. “It came as a shock. I can only say that I took advantage of an excellent opportunity.” Supriyo expressed astonishment that both Mamata Banerjee and senior leader Abhishek Banerjee urged him to join the TMC.
Supriyo was one of the lawmakers filed by the BJP in the state’s Assembly elections earlier this year. He had, however, lost the Tollygunge seat. He declared his resignation from politics after being ousted from the Union cabinet, but he served as a Member of Parliament.
While there has been talk that the singer-turned-politician might switch parties, the Asansol MP, who has been a vocal opponent of Mamata Banerjee and the TMC, has refuted this. On Saturday, he said he didn’t want to remark on the BJP and thanked the party for any opportunities it provided him.
Read also: Babul Supriyo likely to be sent to Rajya Sabha
Supriyo stated that his choice was not motivated by “vengeance” towards the BJP but rather by his heart. When asked if he will campaign for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the subsequent Bhabanipur by-election, Supriyo replied, “I don’t think Mamata Banerjee needs me to campaign, but if the party instructs me to, I would definitely campaign.” Supriyo’s security category was downgraded from “Z” to “Y” by the Union Home Ministry shortly after joining the TMC.
“Supriyo joining is only the beginning,” Abhishek remarked later on Saturday while campaigning in Bhabanipur. Supriyo’s departure, according to BJP leader Shamik Bhattacharya, would have no impact on the party.
Swapan Dasgupta, a BJP MP who, like Supriyo, ran in the Assembly elections and lost, tweeted that he was saddened by Supriyo’s decision to “re-enter” politics. Supriyo looks to have been promised something by the TMC, according to Congress state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. “The TMC is providing Babul more than the BJP,” CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty remarked. As a result, he chose to visit the TMC.”
Political Victory or Suicide?
Because of his dismal electoral performance in 2021, Supriyo was most likely to lose his seat in the Union government. He lost by a staggering 50,080 votes to TMC’s Aroop Biswas in Tollygunge, while the BJP lost six of seven assembly seats in Paschim Bardhaman district, gaining only one by a razor-thin margin of 679 votes. He had little electoral influence, according to the BJP.
Supriyo declared shortly after meeting with the BJP’s senior leadership in New Delhi that he would continue to serve as a Lok Sabha member even though he would no longer be participating in the saffron party’s operations. Despite having excellent relations with Mukul Roy and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, Supriyo never had a good relationship with the party’s Bengal leadership, notably state unit president Dilip Ghosh, during his seven-year political career.
Read also: Will continue to work as MP: Babul Supriyo after meeting Nadda
Rajya Sabha Ambitions?
Supriyo, though, maybe awarded a place in the Rajya Sabha, according to TMC sources. Soon after resigning from the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Ghosh was named the TMC’s state unit general secretary. But what could the TMC gain by bringing in a leader who had failed to demonstrate his public power and despised his party?
According to a senior TMC official, the party felt the BJP’s displeasure at Supriyo’s potential departure from the Lok Sabha and moved quickly to woo him. The induction was held as part of the TMC’s “Mission 2024” strategy, referring to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024.