Current affairs

Back to home after four years: BJP's Mukul Roy returns to Mamata's TMC by giving big shock to Modi!

By alagu, 11 June, 2021
BJP, Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal

When senior Congress leader Jitin Prasada divorced the Congress party and joined BJP earlier this week, the Central ruling party was overjoyed that it had successfully bowled out Prasada, the close aide of Rahul Gandhi, and red-carpeted him to the party with the hope that his entry would help the saffron camp in the poll bounding Uttar Pradesh. However, the joy didn't last long as on the other hand, the BJP has on Friday lost a major wicket in West Bengal, a state which the Modi-Amit Shah duo is desperate to triumph by ousting Mamata's regime. 

In a high-level political drama, BJP's Mukul Roy has returned back home on Friday after he has joined the Trinamool Congress party (TMC) by meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Roy has ended his four-year allegiance with the BJP and took his son Subhranshu Roy to TMC's office and expressed happiness of coming back to native. 

Mukul Roy was one of the second-line leaders of TMC and was a loyal aide to Mamata Banerjee. During TMC's alliance with the UPA regime, Mukul Roy was the Union Minister of Railways. However, four years back, Mukul Roy had rifted the TMC after joining the BJP as the sequel of dissent against Mamata. For a party like BJP which yearns to take over the reign from Mamata in West Bengal, the entry of someone like Mukul Roy was a big boost to face Mamata with her friend-turned-foe. 

Roy had joined the BJP along with his supporters and his entry has pleasured the Modi camp which in turn named Roy as the vice-president of the party. He had joined BJP in November 2017 and he was actively working in the saffron camp and following Mukul Roy, the BJP went on to hunt Mamata's right hand Suvendu Adhikari to collapse her citadel in the state. Adhikari had brought scores of TMC members to the Central ruling party as part of its defection drive.

Mukul Roy and Adhikari had played an active role in BJP in the recently-held elections and the Modi-Amit Shah duo had decided to declare Adhikari as the BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate if the party wins West Bengal. However, nothing helped the duo apart from defeating Mamata in Nandigram where Adhikari had triumphed over his former boss. With winning 77 seats, BJP had managed to become the Opposition party in the state while TMC has secured 213 seats with Mamata becoming the Chief Minister for the third consecutive time. 

Following becoming the opposition party, the BJP had witnessed several tussles between the senior leaders in gaining key posts and the tussles had left several members to take political shelter by returning back home. As the sequel of tussles, Mukul Roy had distanced himself from the BJP for the past few days which had speculated that BJP would likely lose him. 

Roy had reportedly skipped the party meeting that was held on June 8 to discuss the post-election strategy called by the state BJP leadership. His boycotting drive has sparked anticipations and debates on whether he is mind to get back home. As anticipated, Mukul Roy had given a massive shock to the Modi-Amit Shah duo after he joined the TMC on Friday. In the morning hours of Friday, Roy signalled that he will be divorcing from BJP after he had visited TMC's headquarters. 

The development has drawn national attention amid an ongoing feud between Modi and Mamata. The entire Trinamool leadership including Mamata Banerjee, her nephew and party's general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Partha Chatterjee, Subrata Mukherjee, and Subrata Bakshi were present at the event to welcome back Mukul Roy. Mamata has indicated that she has given a big blow to Modi by bringing Roy back.

Welcoming Roy back to the party, Mamata said Roy has said nothing against the TMC, despite campaigning for BJP. He was persuaded into BJP with threats of action by the Central agencies. These had an adverse effect on Roy's health. She said, "He is one of our own. Today, he has returned. He was in mental trouble and I could see he was getting ill. I think Mukul will get mental peace after this." She added, "Old is always gold." She further said that the party's doors are not open to those who deserted the party before elections for the lure of money or had criticized the party. 

According to reports, Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee had formally welcomed Mukul Roy, putting a scarf around his neck, following which they had hugged each other. After joining the party, Roy said, "It feels great to see all the old people of my life. This exit from the BJP and return to the old people makes me feel relieved." He further described Mamata Banerjee as a leader of Bengal and a leader of the nation. He stated, "I have joined TMC today. The present situation is such that nobody will remain in BJP." 

Mukul Roy's son Subhranshu had also returned to the TMC along with him. On the other hand, the BJP's state unit president Dilip Ghosh has responded to Mukul Roy's joining in TMC. Ghosh maintained that the party has gained nothing from Roy and therefore it had feared no loss. The political observers say that Roy's influx back to the party is one of Mamata's great victories after the assembly polls and the state, which has been against BJP for over decades, would witness more such defections as there would be many 'Ghar Wapsi' in coming days, irking Modi and Amit Shah. 

According to ANI, West Bengal state BJP secretary Sayantan Bose said, after Roy's joining in TMC, "West Bengal BJP has set up a disciplinary action committee to take action against leaders who are going against the party. State President Dilip Ghosh to take the final decision. Committee had been set up last year but it is never too late". The development had shaken Delhi as Prime Minister Modi had convened a high-level meeting at his residence to discuss the matter and the meeting is attended by Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President JP Nadda. 

 

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