Mukul Roy ends suspense, says he won’t join BJP

Kolkata: Senior Trinamul Congress leader Mukul Roy on Friday rejected the speculation about him joining the BJP. "I am not joining the BJP," he quipped when asked about the possibility of him switching the sides. He also called the possibility of him switching to BJP as 'baseless.'

Mr Roy, the Rajya Sabha MP, is one among the list of dozen Trinamul leaders booked in Narada sting operation case by the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate following an order by the Calcutta High Court. 

He is also the Trinamul vice president at present. Speculation on him leaving the party, however, became rife after sssssMr Roy was removed from the responsibility of the Trinamul's organisation in Tripura in wake of the six Trinamul MLAs leaning towards the BJP. 

The party entrusted Sabyasachi Dutta, the Trinamul MLA of New Town to look after the organisation in the neighbouring state. On July 21 when the Trinamul observed its Martyr's Day rally Mr Roy was not listed among the speakers although he was present there. Since then rumor started doing rounds that Mr Roy may join the BJP. 

But he maintained silence and flew to New Delhi from where he returned to the state. Trinamul supremo and chief minister Mamata Banerjee was in Delhi then. Mr Roy, however, travelled to North Bengal after Ms Banerjee left Delhi. 

He met a host of party leaders: Goutam Deb, Sourav Chakraborty and Shukra Munda during the two-day whirlwind tour and discussed the unrest in the hills, sources revealed.

Last time there was a similar speculation about Mr Roy's political future when he was called by the Central Bureau of Investigation for questioning in multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam. Once known to be a trusted lieutenant of the Trinamul supremo, he had suddenly become a distant member within the organisation as he kept a very low profile.