Former Trinamool Congress number two and Rajya Sabha MP, Mukul Roy, finally announced his separation from Trinamool Congress. Roy, one of the founding members of the party, has resigned from the working committee and announced that he will quit Rajya Sabha and primary membership after the Durga Pujas.

“I was the one who was the first to sign, when Trinamool Congress was formed in December 17 1997. With a heavy heart today, I have decided to separate myself from the party. I will reveal the reasons after the Durga Pujas,” Mukul Roy said at a press conference on Monday in Kolkata.

Speculations doing rounds are that he will form an independent party or may join the BJP.

Rajya Sabha MP  Mukul Roy

“Now I am only a working committee member, apart from a Rajya Sabha MP. I have sent an e-mail this morning informing my decision to step down from the working committee. I shall resign from Rajya Sabha immediately after the pujas. About eight months are left for my tenure to end in the Upper House. At the same time, I will also leave the primary membership of the party,” Roy said.

Roy’s announcement caps months of growing rift with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was seen sidelining her former trusted general in the party.
Just before the assembly polls, a similar distance developed between Roy and the Bengal chief minister. However, later, Roy and his followers were once again rehabilitated in the party.

“This is the time of the pujas and none will be interested in petty politics. So I shall explain why I took the decision in detail later,” he said. Roy said that he will spend the next few days celebrating Durga Puja.

Rumours of quitting TMC

Over the past few months, rumours of Roy quitting TMC have been doing the rounds. But Roy never spoke decisively on his move and kept everybody guessing about his move. Roy was removed from various posts of the party recently.

On September 20, Roy asked that the Z category security he was entitled to be stopped. On Sunday, he went to the inauguration of a Durga puja that is identified with Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh, who was suspended by the party after he spoke out against the chief minister in the Saradha scam.

Mukul Roy, 63, was once the undisputed number two in the party after Mamata Banerjee. His utility stemmed from the fact that he was responsible for expanding and managing the organisation both in Bengal and beyond it. He was also instrumental in party strategy during the polls, especially in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Roy not only had the ears of the chief minister, but was also known as a trouble shooter. When Mamata Banerjee stepped down as the rail minister from UPA I government to contest the Assembly elections from Bhawanipore constituency, Roy was chosen to replace her. He was the railway minister from March 20, 2012 to September 21, 2012.

Roy’s son, Subhrangshu, is also a TMC MLA from Bijpur constituency from North 24 Parganas district. He first won in 2011 and was reelected in 2016.