BJP MLA Soumen Roy returns to TMC

Kolkata: The saffron camp suffered a setback again after Kaliaganj's BJP MLA Soumen Roy on Saturday returned to Trinamool Congress (TMC), bringing the total number of MLAs in the party down to 71.

Roy returned to the state's ruling party taking the flag from party's secretary general Partha Chatterjee in Kolkata. He had joined the BJP before the Assembly polls. The Trinamool Congress leader from Cooch Behar after joining the BJP had contested North Dinajpur's Kaliaganj Assembly segment in a BJP ticket.

Chatterjee said: "Soumen approached the party expressing his willingness to return after realising his mistake of getting distracted and he was taken back following discussions with the party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. I would like to congratulate Soumen for taking the right decision at the right time. He would be playing a crucial role for the overall development of North Bengal."

"I have been with Trinamool Congress since I was a student. It is true that I contested on a BJP ticket, but believe me, my heart and soul was always with Trinamool Congress. I returned to my party to once again become a part of the development that is taking place under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

However, I would like to seek an apology from everyone as I had got distracted," Roy said after brushing aside allegations of pressure from Trinamool Congress to join the party.

Roy's statement asking all "just to wait for few more days for more such incidents (of joining)" has triggered a question whether more MLAs from North Bengal are going to join TMC mainly when the absence of five MLAs from an important organisational meeting of the BJP in Siliguri had sparked controversy on Thursday in North Bengal.

Gopal Chandra Saha of Malda, Manoj Oraon of Kumargram, Ashok Lahiri of Balurghat, Satyendra Nath Roy of Gangarampur and Jowel Murmu of Habibpur did not attend the meeting. BJP's MLA strength in North Bengal has now reduced to 28 with Roy joining TMC.

Stating that BJP's culture does not match with that of Bengal, Roy said: "They (BJP) are trying to do politics of division. I do not support it and North Bengal would never get separated".

It is important to mention that BJP had won 77 seats in the Assembly polls. In just three months, it has reduced to 71 with the joining of Roy within seven days after BJP MLA from Bagda Biswajit Das and Bishnupur BJP MLA Tanmoy Ghosh returned to the party. Krishnanagar Uttar's MLA Mukul Roy returned to Trinamool Congress on June 12.