Kolkata: As speculation is rife about the imminent launch of a new political party by sidelined TMC leader Mukul Roy, his son Subhranshu, a TMC MLA, today, however, poured cold water, saying those who were talking about this were living in a fool’s paradise.
“Mukul Roy may have served his party with his blood and sweat. But he became Mukul Roy only because of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee. I personally want him to come back to the party by holding the hand of Mamata Banerjee,” Roy’s son said addressing a rally at Dum Dum on the outskirts of the city.
He went on to say that “None of us in our party has any existence without Mamata Banerjee. Those who say that Mukul Roy will form a new political outfit are living in a fool’s paradise.”
Asked about his son’s comment, Mukul told PTI, “I don’t know what my son has said. But I am reiterating what I have been saying for the last several months that is I am still a member and MP of TMC.”
Roy, who was once No 2 in the Trinamool hierarchy and at present is kept at bay by the TMC leadership, had recently expressed a desire to join the Congress and met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi in this regard, state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury had said in May.
Roy, the TMC Rajya Sabha MP, on his part, however, neither denied nor accepted the claim.
Roy was shunned by the party leadership in February this year after he spoke out against them on several occasions since interrogation by the CBI in January in connection with the Saradha scam.
Since then both Roy and the TMC leadership have maintained a discreet distance from each other, with Roy being left out of most of the important party meetings.
PTI