New Delhi: Amid deepening rebellion within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), MP Saugata Roy has claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party had offered him a switchover, but he rejected it.
"Yes, I got an offer to join (the BJP). But I rejected it. I will stay in the party on whose symbol I won the election," Roy said, speaking to news agency ANI.
Speaking to news agency ANI, the veteran politician asserted that he will stay with Mamata Banerjee. "Yes, I got an offer to join (the BJP). But I rejected it. I will stay in the party on whose symbol I won the election," he added.
The Lok Sabha MP's remarks came after senior Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray quit the party and also resigned as an MP, slamming TMC's "15-year anarchical rule."
Reacting to Ray's resignation, he said, "This is not important. The MP of Rajya Sabha who has never won an election... what is the value of his opinion?"
"The symbol is given by the Election Commission. They don't change the symbol according to the MLA. That situation has not come yet," Roy said when asked about the rebel faction coming after TMC's election symbol.
The concerns come after a revolt by a large section of TMC MLAs led by Ritabrata Banerjee. Meanwhile, at least 10 Trinamool rebel MPs are holding a closed-door meeting with BJP leaders in Delhi.
