Former union minister Babul Supriyo says he is leaving politics, will resign as MP

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Babul Supriyo on Saturday said he is leaving politics and will also resign as an MP.

Supriyo, who resigned earlier this month as minister of state for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said in a Facebook post that there was a difference of opinion between him and the state BJP leaders and that the difference of opinion among senior leaders was "harming the party".

The MP had said earlier he is not going to any political party and TMC, Congress, CPI(M) had not called him.

"Goodbye. I'm not going to any political party. TMC, Congress, CPI(M) nobody has called me, I'm not going anywhere...One need not be in politics to do social work," he had said. However, the updated post did not have these lines.

Babul Supriyo, who represents Asansol in Lok Sabha, briefly referred to his moving out to the union council of ministers earlier this month.

The MP, who is a film artist and singer, said social work can be done without being in politics.

In his post, he quoted the lines of singer Hemant Kumar's popular Bengali song "Ek Gochha Rajanigandha".

"I listened to everyone's words - father (mother), wife, daughter, a couple of dear friends. I am saying after listening to everything that I am going. I stayed for some time. Somewhere I made you happy with my work, somewhere I disappointed you. Now it is up to you to assess me. Social work can be done without politics. Resigning from MP-ship too."

Babul Supriyo thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda.

"Over the past few days, I went many times with the decision to leave politics to Amit Shahji and Naddaji. And I am eternally grateful to them as they turned down my request by inspiring and motivating me in every way. I will never forget this love. I do not dare to go to them again with the same request especially when I have decided what I want to do. If I go with my request again, they may think I am here to 'bargain for the post'. I pray they will not misunderstand me and forgive me," Supriyo said.

"The question is why am I leaving politics? Does it have anything to do with losing the ministry? Yes, there is a connection. At least a little bit," he said.

He said there is a huge difference between 2014 and 2019.

Noting that in 2014 he was "alone" but now BJP is the main opposition party in West Bengal, he said new and old faces co-exist in the party today.

"It does not make any difference to the party if one person leaves," he said.

Babul Supriyo said before the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls, there was a difference of opinion between him and the state BJP leaders which is quite normal but few things were coming up in public.

"Somewhere I am responsible and somewhere other leaders are very much responsible. However, I do not want to go for an evaluation now. But it is true that the difference of opinion of senior leaders was harming the party. This does not help party works at the ground level. With my due respect to the people of Asansol, I am informing that I am leaving. I will leave my allotted house within one month. Resigning from my MP post too," he said.

Babul Supriyo joined the BJP in 2014 and has been elected twice from Asansol.

He was part of union council of ministers in the previous BJP-led government. He lost in the assembly polls held earlier this year.

( With inputs from ANI )