Nearly a month after Bharatiya Janata Party was handed a massive defeat in West Bengal assembly polls, party national vice president Mukul Roy on Friday joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC),in presence of party supremo and chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Roy’s son Subhranshu Roy has also returned to the fold. One of the founding members of TMC, Roy was its general secretary when he switched to BJP in 2017. Roy played a key role in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when the BJP won 18 out of the 42 seats.
Addressing the press shortly after his return to the TMC, Mukul Roy, according to ANI, said:
“I feel great at seeing my old colleagues, after leaving the BJP. In the present circumstances, no one will stay in Bharatiya Janata Party.”
He went on to describe the Chief Minister as “the only leader of Bengal and India”. Mukul also informed the press that he will give detailed response to questions over his move to quit BJP.
CM Banerjee welcomed the father-son duo at the TMC headquarters. “We welcome Mukul Roy. He will play an important role in the party,” the West Bengal CM said.
On the question of Suvendu Adhikari, the Chief Minister snapped: “Only those who are sober and those who don’t encourage bitterness are welcome back.”
Taking to Twitter to welcome Mukul Roy, the official TMC handle wrote:
“Warmly welcoming the National Vice-President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shri Mukul Roy, into the Trinamool family. We understand the multiple challenges he faced in BJP.We look forward to this new journey whereby we can work in unison, prioritizing the well-being of the people of India.”
The speculation of Mukul Roy’return to his former party gained momentum after CM’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee visited a city hospital to inquire about the health of his wife last week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too called up Roy.
