Clearing linking his displeasure at being dropped from the Union Ministry and his joining the Trinamool Congress on Saturday former BJP leader and Union Minister Babul Supriyo on Sunday said that he was not used to sit in the reserved benches and had always preferred playing in the playing eleven which explained his joining the Bengal ruling outfit.
“I have been an ardent supporter of Mohun Bagan but tomorrow if I am reduced to playing for a junior team then I will obviously have to look towards some other team … Maybe the rival East Bengal … this is because I have never wanted to sit in the reserve benches … that is not my style of doing it … I had always preferred being in the playing eleven and hence I am here,” Supriyo a two-time MP from Asansol said.
Saying that Mamata Banerjee had offered her the opportunity to be a part of the playing eleven Supriyo — who earlier got “inspired” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join the BJP before a similar inspirational pull from the Bengal Chief Minister sucked him into the Trinamool Congress on Saturday — said, “the life had become a kind of retired hurt for me … Mamata didi has changed it … she has given me an opportunity…”
He said, “I was talking to Derek … I had a long discussion with Abhishek…I felt a lot of love and support for a party with which I have had an association. I have responded to a huge opportunity. I am grateful to Mamata ji for she thought about me. I am thankful she felt I was leaving some unfinished work in politics.”
On Banejee’s ability to lead the nation Supriyo said a national leader as she had transformed into Mamata Banerjee was destined to lead the opposition forces in its fight against the BJP. “Surely she is a national leader now and she is definitely ahead in the leadership race as she has proved her mettle … her credibility has gone up … and I think she is India’s hope in 2024.”
Supriyo was likely to go to Delhi to tender his resignation to Speaker Om Birla. “I am likely to go to Delhi on Wednesday … there if the honourable Speaker gives me time then I will tender my resignation to him.”
On BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s claim that as “Babul Supriyo is not a mass leader … his leaving the party will not affect its fortunes,” the singer-turned-politician said “if that was it … if I have no mass base then why I was used for maximum number of campaigns by the BJP … In fact I broke the record of Shehnaawaz Hussein in that respect.”
On campaigning for Mamata Banerjee against BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal he said “I think Mamata didi will not put me in an embarrassing situation as Priyanka has been like my sister and she had handled all my cases in the High Court … I know her family very well.”