Former Union Minister Babul Supriyo on Saturday joined Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) a month after quitting the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). Talking to a news portal, the Asansol MP said that he was disillusioned in the BJP and was not okay with being benched.

He said, “I did feel disillusioned...the seven years of hard work that I put in...not even my detractors will say that I have not fought in Bengal or I have not done good enough for the party. I felt I should move on to a place, to a team where the coach would want me in the team and welcome me with open arms.” Supriyo maintained that “everything happened in the past three days,” and nobody sent him any feelers. Apparently, it was Trinamool Congress's Derek O'Brien who told him about the “exciting and challenging opportunity.”

It gives us immense joy to welcome the former Union Minister and sitting MP from Asansol, @SuPriyoBabul, into the Trinamool family.

He joined us today in the presence of our National General Secretary @abhishekaitc and RS MP @derekobrienmp.

Moments from the day pic.twitter.com/vxS9F4yTxw

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) September 18, 2021

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At the time of leaving BJP, Supriyo had said that he was “quitting politics” after dropped as Union Minister of State for Environment and had called himself a “one-team player” stating that he won’t be joining any party. However, a month later he took a U-turn ad joined TMC.

Talking about joining Mamata Banerjee-led party, Supriyo said, “In life certain things happen to you. You respond to that in a manner which you feel is appropriate. My leaving politics was wholehearted. The warmth that Mamata didi and Abhishek (Banerjee)...it must have had that zing in it, the spark in it that made me change the position that my seven years of experience in central politics can be revived in a new manner. I am not really okay with sitting on the bench."

He further said, “I had made it known...you field me in a seat from where someone else wouldn't really want to fight. Get your facts right. We all work for some kind of promotions in life, right? Whatever I do at any point of time, I do it with all my might.”

(Source: NDTV)