Babul Supriyo announces exit from politics, says will also resign as MP

Kolkata: Former Union minister and BJP leader Babul Supriyo said on Saturday that he has decided to quit politics and will be resigning as an MP.

Hours after posting the news on Facebook, Supriyo edited the post a bit, triggering speculation of whether his road to any other party remains open or not. In the original version of the post, the former Union minister specifically took the names of Trinamool, Congress and CPM and said he is not joining any other party. "I am confirming that no one has called me. Neither I am going anywhere. I am a one-team player. Have always supported one team Mohun Bagan, have done only BJP. That's it!!" he had written before taking this part out.

However, he hinted the decision was partly due to losing the ministerial berth and also differences with the state BJP leadership.

Supriyo, who had held several portfolios as MOS in the Narendra Modi government since 2014, was removed earlier this month during a major Cabinet reshuffle.

Though he did not modify the rest of the post where he took retirement from politics, the deletion of the crucial part is triggering speculations.

"Leaving, Alvida. Spoke to my parents, wife, friends, and after listening to the advice I am saying that I am leaving.

"I have stayed for too long I have helped somebody, have disappointed somebody, It is for the people to decide. To be involved in social work, you can do that without being involved in any politics," his post read.

The two-time MP from Asansol was among the several ministers who were dropped from the Union Cabinet on July 7 as part of a major rejig. He unsuccessfully contested Assembly polls against Trinamool Congress' Aroop Biswas.

Both Supriyo and Debasree Chaudhuri were dropped as ministers. Four other MPs from West Bengal — Nisith Pramanik, Santanu Thakur, Subhas Sarkar and John Barla were inducted as MOS in the ministry.

"If someone ask that whether leaving the politics is somehow connected to losing ministry. Yes then it is true to some extent.... Also had differences with the state leadership since the assembly poll campaign," he wrote.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh declined to comment on it.

Trinamool Congress general secretary Kunal Ghosh termed Supriyo's Facebook announcement as a gimmick and said TMC is not giving any importance to this. "Lok Sabha is in session, he must tender his resignation to the Speaker. Instead of it, he's using FB only to attract his Delhi leaders because he's now a dissident leader," Ghosh added.