Ending weeks of speculation, BJP national vice president Mukul Roy has rejoined to his old fold TMC after having discussion with Bengal Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee.
Welcoming Roy and his son Subhrangshu to TMC fold, Banerjee accused that Mukul Roy was threatened in BJP and it affected his health. Though she confirmed that more will return to her fold, she also warned those who left TMC just ahead of polls to join BJP. She added that they are 'gaddars' (traitors) and added that the party will not take them back.
Mukul Roy after joining TMC reacted that he feels good to see all known faces again, having come out of BJP. He added that he can't be in the BJP. He went on to describe the Chief Minister as "the only leader of Bengal and India".
To the uncomfortable question of his repeated attacks on "Didi" in the past few years, Mr Roy replied: "I never had any differences with Mamata Banerjee." Coming to his rescue, Ms Banerjee told reporters: "Don't try to create differences."
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."
According to reports, Mr Roy was the first target of Ms Banerjee's Operation "Return of the Prodigal", as it were.
Earlier Mukul Roy had reached at his former party's headquarters at Kolkata today afternoon along with his son Shubhranshu to have discussion with Banerjee, Roy, the former second-in-command of the TMC who joined the saffron party in November 2017, has been distancing himself from the BJP for the last several days.
Qouting sources, a NDTV report said that Mukul Roy felt "suffocated" in BJP and his frustration was amplified by the the party's defeat in the Bengal election After reaching, Roy, who left Trinamool Bhavan, the party headquarters in 2017 walked into his old room in the building that he left, said the report
Based on sources, the report also says that the former Trinamool MP also said that that the BJP's political culture and ethos is alien to Bengal and it is doomed to remain an "outsider" in the foreseeable future.
Other senior party leaders of TMC , including minister Subrata Mukherjee, were also present at the Trinamool Bhavan off the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass
Qouting sources, an IANS report says that Trinamool Congress' attitude towards Roy has changed during State Assembly Elections and it was evident when Mamata Banerjee in her election campaign termed Roy as 'Bhalo Chele' (Good Boy) and it was followed by Abhishek Banerjee's visit to the hospital to see Roy's wife.
Though Roy was not present during his visit, Abhishek met his son Subhrangshu Roy and both of them had a discussion of more than half-an-hour. Subhrangshu was all praise for Abhishek after the meeting.
Just after Abhishek's visit, state BJP President rushed to the hospital to see Roy's wife and the next day Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Roy to enquire about his wife's health.
Though Roy ignored the speculation and announced that he was a BJP worker and will continue to work for the party but his skipping of several BJP meetings, including the first state legislative committee meeting and the BJP state committee meeting only supported the speculation.
Now, Roy's meeting with the chief minister might put an end to all the speculations.
Apart from Mukul Roy, reports says that there are many other leaders who jumped to BJP before the Bengal election want to come back.