We all felt suffocated in Trinamool, says Mukul Roy’s legislator son Subhrangshu
New Delhi, : The political developments in West Bengal reflect a ‘sad’ state of affairs as the party under Mamata Banerjee that came to power in 2011 after 34 long years of communists rule has failed and everyone feels being ‘a caged bird’, said state legislator Subhrangshu Roy.
“We had come to power as Trinamool Congress replacing the Left to establish democracy in West Bengal. But there is no democracy in in the party itself. We all were feeling suffocated as chained and caged bird. Our joining BJP must be seen in that perspective,” Mr Roy, who joined BJP on Tuesday, told UNI here.
Lashing out at Mamata Banerjee regime, he said, “No one in Trinamool Congress is allowed to speak their mind. The moment one says something from what the leadership wants to hear, he or she is labeled as indisciplined”.
“Trinamool leaders speak about Bengali culture, education and sophistication, but I was called ‘gaddar-putra (son of a betrayer)’ just because my father had moved to another party. The election campaign also saw top Trinamool leaders passing uncharitable words against political rivals and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
“It was such a suffocating atmosphere. We have come out and more such leaders, state MLAs and grassroots people will quit Trinamool,” said Roy, son of key BJP leader Mukul Roy.
Former Railway Minister Mukul Roy had joined BJP in 2017 after he fell apart from Ms Banerjee.
Many in BJP also credit Mr Mukul Roy for BJP’s success in recent elections as he is known for his organisational skills. In the fiercely contested elections, BJP won as many as 18 Lok Sabha seats and several big heads rolled.
To a question, he said as newly turned BJP leaders, he and other colleagues would have three-point agenda in tune with the saffron party’s programmes and policies.
They include – development, jobs and ‘reviving’ of democracy.
“Today we are out from Trinamool as everyone was feeling suffocated and now we want to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Bijpur MLA Subhrangshu Roy said.
He said the people of West Bengal have been let down and are feeling anguished and hence there is no guarantee that the Trinamool leadership will be able to run the government till 2021 when state polls are due in the eastern state.
“Ei Jan vish-phoron kothae giye darabey ami bolte parbo na (The people’s anguish is extreme and where will this anti-Trinamool sentiment lead to, I really do not know),” he said.
In a major setback to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, the party’s two MLAs, including her former aide Mukul Roy’s son Subhrangshu Roy, and 50 Municipal councillors joined the saffron party here on Tuesday.
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said,’More Trinamool Congress leaders and MLAs are going to join BJP in seven phases from next month as were the general elections.’
Speaking on the occasion, former Union Minister Mukul Roy said, ‘The complete decimation of Trinamool Congress is on the cards and in next Assembly elections, Trinamool Congress may not have enough numbers to get recognition of opposition leader’.
Subhrangshu Roy, two of his colleagues Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya and Debendra Nath Roy also joined the saffron party at party headquarters here.
The Hemtabad MLA from Uttar Dinajpur district Debendra Nath Roy is from CPI-M.
The development has also confirmed BJP leaders’ claim that there would be many leaders of other parties besides Mamata Banerjee’s outfit, willing to jump the ship.
To a question why his son Subhrangshu took so long to join the saffron outfit, Mukul Roy said, ‘All these were part of strategy as I have said during elections that many Trinamool Congress leaders will continue to stay in Trinamool but vote for us.’
Mr Roy has also said the ‘resignation’ offered by Mamata Banerjee (as Chief Minister) is only part of her theatrics.
“People no longer trusts her,” he commented when pointed out that post Lok Sabha polls, Ms Banerjee has said that she will focus on party organisation and will try to disgruntled party men and women and urge them to come back to the party fold.
BJP leaders have indicated that while they want to strive hard to capture power in West Bengal, they would not like Mamata Banerjee acquire some kind of martyrdom by toppling her government.
Mr Vijayvargiya said Mr Modi’s magic has done wonders in Bengal and leaders and elected representatives from others parties will also join BJP in immediate future.
He also has said, ‘We wish Mamata Banerjee good luck to continue in power till 2021 but if her MLAs do not stick to her, we cannot help.’
Among the Trinamool councillors who joined BJP on Tuesday, 18 are from Halishahr municipality, 17 from Nauhati and 14 from Kancharapada – and these would signal saffron party formally taking charge of local governance in these areas.
UNI.