News Analysis India

Tag: Babul Supriyo resignation

  • BJP pulls up Bengal unit leaders over online posts 

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: BJP’s national leadership on Monday slammed the party’s West Bengal unit over a section of state functionaries publicly expressing their discontent with the party on social media platforms.The national leadership questioned why the functionaries don’t express their concerns to state-level leaders instead of venting them on social media.

    “The leaders in Delhi wanted to know why the disgruntled functionaries are not reaching out to the leaders of the party’s Bengal chapter instead of going out in public. The social media posts by a section of leaders are damaging the party’s image in the state. The high-command wanted to know why they need to intervene on such issues,’’ said a senior BJP leader.The central leadership’s criticism comes two days after former Union minister and BJP MP Babul Supriyo, who was axed from Narendra Modi’s cabinet, made cryptic post of Facebook hinting at his exit from politics. 

    A few days earlier, the party’s youth wing president Saumitra Khan, in a Facebook post, accused Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of misleading the party’s national leadership. Former Tripura MP and BJP leader Tathagata Roy, too, criticised the national leaders on his Twitter handle.“It is a fact that workers from the lower rung of the party are unable to access the leaders. This inaccessibility is creating a communication gap,’’ said a BJP MP.

    Sources said the use of social media itself has added to the rift within the party. “Tussle between Supriyo and Dilip Ghosh became visible on several occasions. Reacting to Supriyo’s recent Facebook post hinting at him quiting from politics, Ghosh said he doesn’t follow anyone’s social media post. Being the chief of the state party unit, such a reaction was not expected. Supriyo said some people’s standards gets reflected through their comments,’’ said a BJP leader.

  • TMC mocks Babul Supriyo’s U-turn; Bengal BJP maintains silence

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: With BJP leader Babul Supriyo making a U-turn on his decision to quit as an MP, the Trinamool Congress mocked him for allegedly enacting a “well-scripted drama” to score brownie points in the saffron party after he was dropped from the union cabinet in the last reshuffle.

    The BJP’s West Bengal leadership, however, maintained a stoic silence on the development.

    The singer-turned-politician had announced in a social media post on Saturday that he would quit as an MP and active politics.

    However, after meeting BJP president J P Nadda in Delhi on Monday, the Asansol MP said he will continue to discharge his constitutional responsibilities as a parliamentarian but withdraw from politics and leave his official residence in the national capital.

    His decision will be a big relief to the BJP as it would not have liked to be forced to contest a by-poll against the TMC, which is upbeat after handing a comprehensive defeat to the saffron party in the assembly election held earlier this year.

    TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said that Supriyo has been enacting a drama from the very beginning as he was dropped from the ministry.

    ALSO READ | Will remain MP but quit politics: Babul Supriyo after meeting BJP chief JP Nadda

    “If he was so keen on resigning, he should have sent his resignation letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker. Instead, he was indulging in tricks. We knew he would make a U-turn sooner than later,” Ghosh said.

    When contacted, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, with whom Supriyo shares a strained relationship, declined to comment.

    “Babul Supriyo is an MP and he has met the party president. So, it is for the central leadership to comment on it, not the state leadership,” state BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said.

    Both Supriyo and Debasree Chaudhuri, MPs from Bengal, were dropped as ministers in the July cabinet reshuffle.

    Four other MPs from West Bengal, Nishith Pramanik, Santanu Thakur, Subhas Sarkar and John Barla – were inducted as MOS in different ministries.

    Upset at being dropped from the Union Council of Ministers, Supriyo, a two-term MP, on Saturday announced that he would resign as MP and quit politics.

    On Monday, he told reporters that Home Minister Amit Shah and Nadda had spoken to him, and he has taken a final decision after thinking over their suggestions.

  • Will remain MP but quit politics: Babul Supriyo after meeting BJP chief JP Nadda

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The BJP on Monday managed to persuade Babul Supriyo against resigning as a Lok Sabha member even as the singer-turned-politician insisted that he will no longer be part of active politics.

    Speaking to reporters after meeting BJP president J P Nadda, the Asansol MP said he will continue to discharge his constitutional responsibilities as a parliamentarian but withdraw from politics and leave his official residence in the national capital.

    ALSO READ | Babul Supriyo’s edited Facebook post on resignation sparks speculation on his next political move

    His decision will be a big reprieve to the BJP as it would not have liked to be forced to contest a bypoll against the Trinamool Congress, which is upbeat after handing a comprehensive defeat to the saffron party in the recent West Bengal assembly polls.

    Upset at being dropped from the Union Council of Ministers by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two-term MP had announced that he will resign as MP and quit politics.

    He told reporters on Monday that Home Minister Amit Shah and Nadda had spoken to him, and he has taken a final decision after thinking over their suggestions.

    He asserted that whatever he had said recently, some of which was seen to be critical of the party’s affairs in the state, was in the interest of the BJP and that he stood by that.

  • Babul Supriyo’s edited Facebook post on resignation sparks speculation on his next political move

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Hours after writing a cryptic post on his Facebook account dropping hits at quitting politics, former Union minister Babul Supriyo edited the same triggering speculation on his next political move. While he indicated in the original post that he will not be joining any politial party, in the edited version, Supriyo has deleted the same.  

    On Saturday, the MP from Asansol took names of Trinamool Congress, Congress and CPI(M) while saying he is not joining any political party. Late on Saturday, he edited the content of his post and took out that portion.

    “I am confirming that no one has called me. Neither I am going anywhere. I am a one-team player. Have always supported one team Mohun Bagan, have done only BJP. That’s it,” the MP had written before taking out that part. In his first edit, Supriyo announced that he is quitting as MP as well.

    “It is a clear indication that Supriyo doesn’t want to shut all doors. Rather, he has opened it by editing the content. He actually fuelled to the speculations of his next political move,’’ said a senior BJP leader.

    In his Saturday’s Facebook post, Supriyo had made it clear that there was a link between his removal from the cabinet and his decision to quit politics. He also pointed out difference of opinion between him and BJP’s West Bengal leadership.

    Replying to a comment describing the editing by the singer-turned-politician was a reflection of his confusion, Supriyo replied, “That’s exactly what editing is…you try to male an article better ! Not history, loot at future. Read it fresh with a cool head tmrow morning.’’

    In a separate post on Sunday, Supriyo uploaded reactions of BJP’s West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh and TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh after his Facebook Post announcing his resignation. “Some people used languages according to their choice. I accept all these. I will answer to their comments by delivering without being an MP or a minister. I will feel good if I can build up a hospital in the name of my mother in Asansol and distribute blankets for the poor with the earning of my stage performance,’’ he wrote.

  • Former Union Minister Babul Supriyo to leave politics; to quit as BJP MP

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Former Union Minister and BJP leader Babul Supriyo said on Saturday that he has decided to quit politics and will be resigning as an MP. He hinted the decision was partly due to losing the ministerial berth and also differences with the state BJP leadership.

    Supriyo, who had held several portfolios as MOS in the Narendra Modi government since 2014, was removed earlier this month during a major cabinet reshuffle.

    “Leaving, Alvida. Spoke to my parents, wife, friends, and after listening to the advice I am saying that I am leaving. Am not going to any other party – TMC, Congress, CPM, nowhere. I am confirming that nobody has called me,” he said.

    “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!! Leaving,” Supriyo said in a Facebook post.

    “I have stayed for too long – I have helped somebody, have disappointed somebody, It is for the people to decide. To be involved in social work, you can do that without being involved in any politics,” his post read.

    The two-time MP from Asansol was among the several ministers who were dropped from the union cabinet on July 7 as part of a major rejig. His unsuccessfully contested assembly polls against Trinamool Congress’s Aroop Biswas in the last assembly elections.

    Both Supriyo and Debasree Chaudhuri were dropped as ministers. Four other MPs from West Bengal – Nishit Pramanik, Santanu Thakur, Subhas Sarkar and John Barla were inducted as MOS in the ministry.

    “If someone ask that whether leaving the politics is somehow connected to losing ministry. Yes then it is true to some extent….Also had differences with the state leadership since the assembly poll campaign,” he wrote.

    State BJP president Dilip Ghosh declined to comment on it.