Kolkata (West Bengal): Former Trinamool Congress leader Tapas Roy, who had quit the Mamata Banerjee-led party two days ago, joined the BJP on Wednesday. After leaving the party earlier he had said that his next destination is BJP and he would be 100 per cent loyal to the saffron party.
Soon after joining the BJP in the presence of Suvendu Adhikari and Sukanta Majumdar on Wednesday, Tapas Roy said, "The government of (West) Bengal is Shibu Hazra, Sheikh Shahjahan's government. I will work together to oust these inhuman pirates from Bengal. I have done transparent politics in the past. If the BJP gives me district, state or whatever responsibility, I will perform my duty with integrity. I will be 100 per cent loyal to BJP."
Tapas Roy resigned from the post of MLA on Monday. He went to the Legislative Assembly again on Wednesday morning. However, Speaker Biman Banerjee said that Tapas Roy's resignation as MLA has not been accepted yet as there were procedural errors. However, Tapas Roy joined the BJP later in the day.
"Today I have become a member of the BJP and (Narendra) Modiji's family. As long as I live, I will stay in BJP. I will fulfil the responsibility given by the party," Roy said.
Similarly, according to BJP sources, former Calcutta High Court Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay is set to join the BJP at 12:30 pm on Thursday.
After inducting Tapas Roy into the party, West Bengal BJP chief Sukant Majumdar said, "To those of us who are in politics, Tapas Roy is a character to whom we are kids in political experience. Today he resigned from the post of MLA and joined our party."
He further said, "BJP will never take all Trinamool (Congress) leaders. But Tapas Roy is a gentleman. He has always maintained a clean image. Tapas Roy has been doing politics for a long time on the side of people. But BJP is more willing to take Trinamool Congress workers."
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said, "I have worked under Tapas da as the president in my days in student politics. I welcome him to Modiji's family. We have taken the decision after discussing it from the district level to the all-India level. From Baranagar to Kolkata, all workers and the leadership suggested that Tapas Roy be inducted."
Meanwhile, Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh termed Roy joining the BJP as "unfortunate". "Tapas Roy's defection is unfortunate. His joining the BJP is even more unfortunate. Hope he doesn't get the Suvendu-virus though. Trinamool workers loved him. Let him not hurt their sentiments and launch ugly attacks against the old party in BJP's language," Ghosh wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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