TMC MP Satabdi Roy voices discontent, party reaches out

Birbhum MP Satabdi Roy voicedher discontent with the TMC, following which the party reachedout to her to bring the situation under control amid anongoing exodus from the party ahead of the assembly electionsin West Bengal.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh held an hour-long meetingwith the actor-turned-politician at her south Kolkataresidence on Friday afternoon after she dropped hints ofquitting the ruling party in the state.

''Satabdi Roy is an old friend. I had come to meet myfriend,'' Ghosh told reporters while leaving her residence,adding several other TMC leaders have spoken with her.

''I have also come to know that BJP leader Mukul Royhad called her up and asked her to meet him during her visitto Delhi tomorrow,'' he said.

Senior TMC leader and Dumdum MP Saugata Roy said theparty will try to address her grievances and sort out theissues.

Roy, in a Facebook post, had claimed that she is notbeing informed about party events in her constituency and thishas caused ''mental pain'' to her.

The three-time Birbhum MP had said she will inform thepublic at 2 pm on Saturday if she takes any ''decision'',causing ripples in the TMC.

As per party sources, Roy is having differences withBirbhum district TMC chief Anubrata Mondal.

''I have a close connection with this constituency. Butrecently many people have been asking me why I am missing fromseveral party programmes.

''I want to tell them that I want to attend allprogrammes. But I don't get to know about many programmes andif I am not even informed about events in my constituency,then how can I attend. I was mentally pained because of this,''Roy's post in her fans' club page read.

Roy said she has spent more time with the people ofher constituency than her own family in the last 10 years andeven her enemies can't discredit her on this account.

''So, this year I am trying to take some decisions sothat I can spend the entire time with you. I am grateful toyou. You have been supporting me since 2009. Hope you willsupport me in the coming days too,'' the post read.

''If I take any decision, will let you know on January16, Saturday at 2 pm,'' it added.

When contacted, Roy confirmed that the post was indeedmade by her.

''I have tried to reach out to the leadership but ithas been of no use. If I am not able to work for the massesthen what is the use of continuing in the post,'' she toldreporters.

Roy had twice given resignation from the TarapithUnnayan Parishad but those were not accepted, sources close tothe MP said.

She is scheduled to visit Delhi on Saturday, theysaid.

When asked whether there are chances of joining theBJP, she refused to reply.

Responding to a query whether she will meet Union HomeMinister Amit Shah, Roy said, ''There are always chances ofmeeting people you know but there is no such possibility.'' Reacting to the development, Mondal said, ''She isstill in the party. If she takes any step, then I will saywhatever I have to.'' Roy was seen with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjeeduring a roadshow in Bolpur on December 29.

After a long and successful career in the Bengali filmindustry, Roy joined politics in the final years of the LeftFront government in the state.

She was part of the TMC's cultural brigade ofcelebrities with mass appeal in Mamata Banerjee's attempt tounseat the Left from power in the state.

Roy had first contested and won the Birbhum seat on aTMC ticket in 2009. She went on to win the seat in 2014 and2019.

Not just Roy, another senior TMC leader and stateminister Rajib Banerjee, who has been maintaining distancewith the party, also said in a social media post that he willreveal his next step in a Facebook live on Saturday afternoon.

In the biggest single-day exodus from the TMC,political heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, along with 35 partyleaders including five MLAs and an MP, joined the BJP duringShah's rally in Medinipur on December 19, setting off achurning as several disgruntled leaders rallied behind him.

Since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJPbagged 18 seats from the state, 14 legislators of the TMC,four from the Left Front and two from the Congress have joinedthe saffron party.

None of them, however, have resigned from their posts.

Elections to the 294-member state assembly are due inApril-May.