Mukul Roy resigns from Rajya Sabha; takes dig at Mamata Banerjee, says 'we are not a person's servant'

In a fresh blow to Trinamool Congress (TMC), West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's right-hand man Mukul Roy submitted his resignation from Rajya Sabha as TMC MP, to Vice-President and RS chairman Venkaiah Naidu, on Wednesday."Mamata failed to keep her promises. It is a strategical decision known to Mamatadi," Mukul Roy said on his decision.However, according to CNN-News18, Roy said he hasn't taken any decision regarding joining any other political party yet but he will announce his next course of action after Kali Puja. Roy went on to justify his resignation launching a subtle attack against the chief minister. "We are party comrades, c," Roy said explaining why he was "compelled" to resign.Reacting to Roy's resignation, TMC, however, said Bengal and the party has been saved and Roy has succumbed to pressure. "Mukul wanted to run the party as a zamindar," TMC leaders said.Roy was suspended for six years for "anti-party activities" by the TMC following his announcement on 25 September that he would resign from the party after Durga Puja.Amid speculation that he would join the BJP, Roy pointed out that in 1998 when the TMC had a seat-sharing arrangement with the saffron party in West Bengal, its leadership had said that BJP was not communal. He recalled that he was one of the signatories when the Election Commission had recognised the TMC as a political party."A party should have certain principles. Sometimes Trinamool Congress is with the BJP, sometimes they are with the Congress," Roy told the media at his residence here shortly after submitting his resignation."We were very much a part of the NDA government once and joined hands with the BJP. Now the party thinks that the country cannot go ahead without the Congress. These things compelled me to leave the party with a heavy heart," Roy added."We have formed a political party to fight against the Congress rule. That was the reason why Trinamool Congress was created. If we now think that the country cannot move without the Congress, I think there should be a merger between both the parties," he said.He also appealed to his colleagues to not do anything that might be detrimental to the party.On Monday, Mukul Roy met the BJP's in-charge of West Bengal Kailash Vijayvargiya, further fuelling speculation that he may join hands with the BJP.Asked if Roy, a founding member of the Banerjee-led party, will join the BJP, Vijayvargiya had said that his party is not in a hurry over the matter. "All those political leaders who want West Bengal to grow would like to join BJP and work under Prime Minister Narendra Modi as there is no other party which wants to work on the agenda of development," the BJP general secretary said.On Monday, a senior leader of BJP had said the suspended TMC leader would not be inducted into the saffron outfit if he was found "guilty" in corruption cases."The West Bengal unit of our party will first discuss and decide. After that, we will take a call. But, if he (Roy) is found guilty in the Narada and Saradha cases, we will not induct him into the party," the BJP leader said.With inputs from agencies