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BJP leader Babul Supriyo quits politics

He hinted the decision was partly due to losing the ministerial berth and also differences with the state BJP leadership
Last Updated 31 July 2021, 14:48 IST

Within weeks after being dropped from the Union Cabinet former minister and BJP MP Babul Supriyo announced that he will resign as an MP. The singer-turned-politician in a lengthy Facebook post said that he will also be quitting politics.

Starting with “Leaving, Alvida," Supriyo, in the Facebook post, stated that he had repeatedly approached Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda seeking to leave politics, but they repeatedly turned down his request and inspired him to remain as a politician.

Supriyo further stated that he will not approach Shah and Nadda again with the same request as it may create doubt in their mind that he was “bargaining”’ for some posts.

“Resigning from my MP-ship too (obviously). Hopefully they (Shah and Nadda) will not misunderstand me,” Supriyo said.

Indicating that he may leave politics altogether, Supriyo stated “ Leaving, Alvida. I have spoken to my parents, wife, friends, and after listening to their advice, I am leaving.”

However, Supriyo made it clear that he will not join any other party.

“I am going nowhere. I am a one-team player. I have always supported one team, one team #MohunBagan. I have been with only one party-BJP West Bengal. That’s it. Leaving,” Supriyo stated.

As to whether his decision had anything to do with him being dropped from the Union Cabinet, Supriyo confirmed that it played a role.

“There will obviously be a question why I tried to leave politics. Does it have something to do with being dropped as a minister? Yes it does; at least to some extent,” Supriyo explained.

He admitted that prior to the Assembly elections he was having differences with the state BJP leadership and it was coming out in public.

“While I was responsible in some cases (I made a Facebook post that amounted to violating party discipline), in other cases other leaders were clearly responsible. But I don’t want to get into this discussion now,” he said. He also said that it was not only harming the interests of the party but also the morale of cadres.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh declined to comment on the matter.

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’s Aroop Biswas in the last Assembly elections. Both Supriyo and Debasree Chaudhuri were dropped as ministers.

Four other MPs from West Bengal – Nishit Pramanik, Santanu Thakur, Subhas Sarkar and John Barla were inducted as MoS in the ministry. "If someone ask that whether leaving 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.

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(Published 31 July 2021, 12:12 IST)

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