Mukul Roy, Once Mamata Banerjee's Right-hand Man, Joins BJP

New Delhi: Former Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy joined the BJP on Friday. Roy was formally inducted into the party at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

Mukul’s induction into the party was officially announced in a press conference where Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya were present.

Roy had resigned in October saying that Trinamool Congress had lost its ideology. Roy was widely known as the next big name in the Trinamool Congress ranks, with him being considered West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's right-hand man.

“Sometime it says Congress is good, while sometime it accuse the Congress. Sometime they say BJP is good and sometime they alleged that BJP is a communal party. Someone (Mamata Banerjee) in the party recently said Modi (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) is good and Amit Shah is bad. The party took decisions based on their interest to stay in power. I personally believe that BJP is not a communal party,” he had said.

While slamming party supremo Mamata Banerjee, Roy had said, “We are the cadre of the party and not the servant of a person. Not only me all party leaders are cadres and not a servant. They should be treated as cadres.”

There were reports earlier that Roy was in touch with the BJP and may join the saffron brigade soon.

The TMC and its chief Mamata Banerjee had censured Roy for allegedly hobnobbing with BJP leaders, and drawn the line by saying it was keeping a close watch on him.

Roy was embroiled in the Saradha chit fund scam and was under CBI scanner in 2015. He was then sidelined from the party, in which he used to enjoy an influential position.

On August 30, Mukul was removed as the chairman of the standing committee on transport, tourism and culture in Rajya Sabha for his alleged proximity with the BJP leaders in New Delhi.

Roy was also removed as the TMC vice-president after the party decided to restructure its committee. He was also removed as the party's in-charge of Tripura, where the TMC was steadily making inroads till its members switched over to the BJP earlier this year.