The founding member of the Trinamool Mukul Roy switched to the BJP in 2017.

Kolkata:

Veteran TMC chief Mukul Roy, who stored the political pundits guessing over his subsequent transfer, on Tuesday night time mentioned he’s nonetheless a BJP legislator and wish to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah as he’s eager on returning to the saffron camp.

Mr Roy, who on Monday night time travelled to New Delhi for “some personal work”, whilst his household initially claimed that he was “missing”, solely to later accuse the BJP of indulging in soiled politics utilizing the TMC chief who’s unwell and never within the “right frame of mind”.

“I am a BJP legislator. I want to be with the BJP. The party has made arrangements for my stay here. I want to meet Amit Shah and speak to (party president) J P Nadda,” he told a Bengali news channel late on Tuesday evening.

The founding member of the TMC switched to the BJP in 2017. He won as a saffron party candidate in the 2011 West Bengal assembly election. He, however, returned to the Trinamool Congress soon after without resigning from the House.

“I was not keeping well for quite some time, so I was away from politics. But right now, I am fine and would again be active in politics,” Mr Roy mentioned.

He mentioned he’s “100 per cent confident that he would never be associated with the TMC”.

Mr Roy additionally had a bit of recommendation for his son Subharanghsu. “He too should join the BJP as it would suit him best,” he mentioned.

The drama over Mr Roy’s whereabouts developed since late Monday night when the relations of the TMC chief claimed he was “untraceable”.

After reaching Delhi final night time, Mr Roy informed reporters that he reached the nationwide capital however had “no specific agenda”.

“I have come to Delhi. There is nothing specific agenda. I have been an MP for several years. Can I not come to Delhi? Earlier, I used to come to Delhi regularly. I am an MLA and MP of Delhi,” he had mentioned.

The former railway minister’s son Subhrangshu had informed PTI that his father was “untraceable” and “missing” since late Monday night.

As there was hypothesis that Mr Roy might rejoin the BJP, Subhrangshu, who too had converted to the saffron camp, mentioned his father is “extremely unwell” and suffers from “dementia and Parkinson’s disease”.

“My father is not in the right frame of mind. I would request everyone not to do politics with an unwell person. After he went missing, I had also filed a police complaint last night,” he informed reporters.

Mr Roy’s son additionally claimed that his father had undergone “brain surgery” final month and didn’t recognise even relations and shut associates.

Subhrangshu claimed when he got here to know on Monday night time that the TMC chief was travelling to Delhi by air, he had requested the authorities to de-board him, however by then, “the flight had taken off”.

“The chief minister herself had called up to inquire about my father’s well-being,” Subhrangshu, who too had returned to the TMC in 2021 alongside together with his father, mentioned.

Speculations over Mr Roy rejoining the BJP gained momentum after BJP nationwide secretary Anupam Hazra made a cryptic single phrase Facebook submit: “Comeback”.

When contacted by a information channel, Hazra mentioned, “It’s time to wait and watch. Please wait for one or two days; everything will be clear very soon”.

Reacting to Hazra’s feedback, Subhranghsu mentioned it was an try and malign the TMC and its nationwide common secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

“This is shameful that some people have stooped so low and are doing politics over my father’s visit to New Delhi. This is an attempt to malign the TMC and our party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee,” he mentioned.

State parliamentary affairs minister and TMC chief Sovandeb Chattopadhyay accused the BJP of indulging in soiled politics.

“I have known Mukul Roy for the last several decades. He is so ill that he doesn’t recognise people and cannot complete a sentence properly. Now If the BJP wants to pursue politics by using an unwell person, we condemn such dirty politics,” he mentioned.

Senior BJP chief Suvendu Adhikari, nevertheless, mentioned that the saffron camp will not be taken with “inducting Mr Roy back into the party.” Meanwhile, the Airport police station below the Bidhannagar police commissionerate questioned Pijush Kanodia, a BJP chief and as soon as an in depth affiliate of Mukul Roy, throughout his stint within the saffron camp.

“Following a complaint of Mukul Roy’s son, we have questioned one local leader of South Dum Dum for his alleged involvement in the matter. We have also sent a couple of officers to New Delhi to find out what has happened,” a senior police official mentioned.

Mr Roy joined the BJP in 2017 following variations with the TMC management. He was made BJP nationwide vice chairman in 2020.

He received from the Krishnanagar North meeting seat on a BJP ticket in 2021 and returned to the TMC only a month after the outcomes have been introduced, complaining of “ill-treatment” by the saffron get together. He, nevertheless, did not resign as an MLA.

Since his return to the TMC, he has remained away from the general public glare.

Mr Roy additionally resigned because the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee within the West Bengal meeting final yr, citing unwell well being.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)