Swapan Dasgupta slams Babul Supriyo's 'hurry' to join TMC; ex-min retorts 'was angry'

Days after ex-Union Minister Babul Supriyo joined Trinamool Congress, his BJP colleague Swapan Dasgupta on Sunday, said that anger felt by Asansol's BJP voters was very real. Stating that digesting adversity & having patience was a part of politics, Dasgupta said that Supriyo was in a 'tearing hurry' which will damage his own image. Supriyo - sitting Asansol MP - joined the TMC on Saturday, a month after he quit 'politics'.

Swapan Dasgupta hits out at Babul

Miffed at the BJP MP's criticism, Supriyo said that even his anger was real and what happened to him was unfair - hinting at being thrown out of the Modi cabinet. Claiming that he had protested against 'outsiders' being inducted into BJP, Supriyo said that ‘real’ BJP grass-root fighters were ignored. Supriyo questioned if these acts did not tarnish the BJP's image?

On Sunday, Supriyo held a press conference and said that it was Mamata Banerjee's 'motivational words' that forced him towards changing his decision of quitting politics. He added, "I don't understand the trolling, not like I am creating history by switching parties. There are 1000s who have done it before me." The former BJP leader said that he was firm in his decision until he met TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee in Delhi. Supriyo's exit came as a surprise as he congratulated Priyanka Tibrewal for being chosen as BJP's Bhabanipur candidate and had met Nadda in August after he 'quit politics'.

Babul Supriyo dropped from Modi cabinet

In July, the Prime Minister reshuffled his cabinet inducting four first-time MPs from Bengal - Santanu Thakur, John Barla, Nishith Pramanik and Subhash Sarkar. Sitting MPs - Babul Supriyo and Debasri Chaudhury were dropped from the cabinet which triggered Supriyo to 'quit politics'. Supriyo had recently lost his Tollygunj assembly seat in the 2021 assembly polls while his fellow BJP MPs - Locket Chatterjee and Swapan Dasgupta too lost from Chunchura and Tarakeshwar respectively.

In his Facebook post, Supriyo had written emotionally, "Goodbye! I took the advice of father, mother, wife, and friends, and after hearing them all, I affirm that I am not going to any other party - TMC, Congress, CPIM, nowhere. I am confirming that nobody has called me. I am going nowhere. I am a one-team player! Have always supported one team #MohunBagan - Have been with only one party - BJP West Bengal. That’s it!!" Supriyo is an outspoken critic of Banerjee and has accused her of 'taking over' the Bengali film industry.