Kolkata: A day after joining Trinamool Congress (TMC), the former minister in Modi cabinet and Bharatiya Janata Party’s Asansol MP Babul Supriyo said that in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a popular face but for the 2024 Parliamentary election chief minister Mamata Banerjee, is the most popular one.
“I want to see the most popular face as the next Prime Minister of India and no one can rule out the popularity of Mamata Banerjee. The landslide victory of TMC has proven that people of Bengal want to see Mamata Didi as the PM of India,” said Babul in his first press conference as TMC leader.
The former minister mentioned that he is even ready to ‘interchange’ the allegations that both he and Abhishek Banerjee had exchanged earlier as political rivals.
“I will not delete any political posts from social media and will keep them saved. As political rivals, we have cross swords against each other but now we will have to work together,” pointed out Babul.
Expressing gratitude towards TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Babul said that they have given him a chance to stay in ‘playing 11’.
“I wanted to work for people and didn’t want to sit in reserve. The camp that will make me play in the main 11 players I will play for them. Mamata Didi had empathized with me and asked me to do good work and motivated me,” he claimed.
Babul also stated that after he visits the national capital on Tuesday if Speaker Om Birla gives him time then he would resign from the BJP MP post that day itself.
On the issue of being trolled on social media, the singer-turned politician said that he was aware that he will be slammed.
“Whatever Dilip Ghosh, Suvendu Adhikari are saying is correct as they are allowed to say anything against me. I was aware of all these, despite all, I have decided to defect,” he further said.
In a response to his ‘Jhalmuri’ diplomacy in 2015, Babul said, “For the sake of development I entered chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s car after a program and we ate jhalmuri, for the sake of people of Bengal I am ready to meet BJP ministers across dhokla. People have seen my works in the last seven years. In 2014, people had voted for me as a singer but in 2019 people have voted for my work.”
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’ Brien who was also present in the press meet did not miss to remind that PM Modi has not done a single press conference since he assume PM office. “Babul had answered all the questions raised, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi have never called for a press conference for the last seven years,” he said.
Saugata Roy, another senior TMC leader and MP was also present at the press meet.
It may be recalled that while quitting politics in early August, Babul had mentioned that he will never rejoin politics and even if he does later he will rejoin the BJP and no other political parties.
However, the Bollywood singer is the first BJP MP to desert the saffron camp post Bengal assembly polls verdict. It is also believed that many will follow him. Earlier, four BJP legislators, including Mukul Roy, a senior politician in Bengal politics had done ghar wapsi.
Speculations are rife that in the coming week one more MP and an MLA will leave BJP and join ruling TMC.
