BJP Lok Sabha MP Babul Supriyo on Saturday joined the Trinamool Congress with party national secretary Abhishek Banerjee and MP Derek O'Brien in attendance. While Supriyo is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 17th Lok Sabha representing the Asansol constituency of West Bengal.
"Today, in the presence of National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and RS MP Derek O'Brien, former Union Minister and sitting MP Babul Supriyo joined the Trinamool family. We take this opportunity to extend a very warm welcome to him!" the Trinamool party handle tweeted.
"Khela Hobe," came the reply from O'Brien.
Earlier this year, after failing to become a member of the reshuffled Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the former Union Minister had taken to social media insisting that he was "quitting politics" and would resign from the BJP. At the time he had insisted that he would not be joining any other party.
Somewhat contradictorily, he had been listed as a "star campaigner" for the BJP in the upcoming bypolls that will see his lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal take on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Up until last week he had tweeted messages in support of Tibrewal and the BJP.
According to TMC leaders this is not the end of defections from the Opposition camp. "Many BJP leaders are in communication with TMC leadership. They are not satisfied with BJP. One (Babul Supriyo) joined today, another wants to join tomorrow. This process will go on. Wait and watch," TMC leader Kunal Ghosh told news agency ANI.
