Kolkata: Two days after joining the ruling party in Bengal, the freshly-minted Trinamool Congress leader, Babul Supriyo, met with the party chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat on Monday.
Since the singer-turned-politician has joined TMC, there have been speculations that he could get nominated for Rajya Sabha but sources also say that he might get a ministerial berth in the Mamata cabinet. The celebrity politician had told newsmen that he wanted to ‘serve the people of Bengal’ and wanted to be in ‘playing 11‘, not being benched out.
After meeting Mamata Banerjee, Babul Supriyo said that he has had a “musical conversation” with the TMC chief. The singer, who attained fame and instant recognition with his rendition of Dil Ne Dil Ko Pukara in the 2000 musical, Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai had earlier said that he was given an offer by the TMC, he could hardly refuse.
Till now, Babul has kept his cards close to his chest. It remains to be seen what the ‘offer’ is that sounded music to the ears of the former Union minister of state for the environment. He even sang a line from Aha Ki Anondo Akashe Batashe from Satyajit Ray classic Hirak Rajar Deshe, indicating his state of mind. It remains to be seen if his wish to get a ministerial berth was granted by the TMC chief.
“I am very happy to meet Mamata Didi. Whichever way she wants to utilise my services I will try to keep up to her expectations. She has also asked me to sing and work for the people wholeheartedly,” said the singer-turned-politician.
Does that mean he wasn’t able to serve the people in the Union ministry, wonder political pundits?
Asked about the post he has been offered in his new party Babul said that it is the prerogative of the chief minister Mamata Banerjee to decide.
Babul said that was happy that he was given the freedom to work for the people and sing to his heart’s content. Can we construe his statement that he wasn’t able to work for the people being in the Union ministry? Or was he not able to contribute to Bengal politics when he was in the BJP?
It is well known that he has had his differences with the Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh and even had shown reservations when ‘outsiders’ were being given tickets in the assembly polls.
On Monday evening, Dilip Ghosh was removed from the post of BJP Bengal president.
Earlier in the morning the BJP president had slammed Babul and said that the saffron party had made him a ‘striker’ but he failed to find the net.
“Babul is claiming that he was not able to play in the BJP. We made him a striker but he failed to score for us. The Tollygunge assembly poll result is testimony to that,” said Ghosh.
Pointing out the notice by the home ministry a couple of days back, which stated that Babul was being given Y-category security instead of his present Z-category, the former minister showed his letter written to the home ministry on August 3, where he stated that he was giving up his central security.
“The letter that was floated by MHA doesn’t stand as I have long back given away my security. I had asked TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee for state security which I still haven’t got,” claimed Babul adding that he had travelled to Kolkata twice without security.
