Kolkata: In what appears to be a big blow to Trinamul Congress in West Bengal ahead of the Lok Sabha Election, heavyweight TMC leader Tapas Roy has stepped down as Baranagar MLA and also quit his party posts, fuelling speculations of his entry to BJP and contest from the North Kolkata constituency.
On Monday, the four-time legislator, who was the TMC deputy chief whip in the Assembly in his last term and was a state minister earlier, tendered his resignation to Speaker Biman Banerjee after attacking his party and it's supremo and chief minister Mamata Banerjee in an explosive outburst.
Announcing that he already left TMC and it's posts on March 1, Mr Roy alleged, “TMC doesn't suit me. It has so much corruption. Those, who should have been suspended, are spared. On January 12, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided my house in Bowbazar. This left me and my devastated.”
He claimed, “Some in TMC rejoiced it as they wanted it. Neither the CM nor the party contacted or backed me in the last 52 days. It was an insult to me after serving TMC for the last 25 years. The CM spoke about Shahjahan Sheikh in the Assembly on the Sandeshkhali issue.”
Mr Roy said, “I thought she would also support me like many in the opposition did. But I was wrong. I later stopped visiting the assembly and my constituency and made my mind.” Asked about joining BJP, he however added, “I'm a free bird now but will not disclose my next move.”
Many TMC councillors of Baranagar Municipality rushed to his residence and broke down in tears. TMC however punctured Mr Roy's high voltage allegations and asserted that many party leaders spoke to him later on various occasions and found his tilt towards BJP after the ED raid
TMC spokesperson Santanu Sen said, “Why is Roy now talking about not getting any importance in the party? Why didn't he think of this 15 days before the announcement of the election? Why diyd he speak earlier? TMC made him a minister, deputy chief whip in the Assembly.”
He added, “It is heard that he is all set to change his ideology and join another party. Can a man do that suddenly if he doesn't have a lucrative job from the other side?” Earlier in the day, state education minister Bratya Basu and TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh met Mr Roy at his residence.
They tried to placate him over his allegations against North Kolkata TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhyay of helping BJP. But their efforts went in vain. In turn, Mr Ghosh got a show cause notice from the TMC for leveling the same charge against Mr Bandopadhyay earlier.
