State Irrigation and Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari had tendered his resignation as minister from the Mamata Banerjee-led state cabinet on Friday morning. He has also left the chairperson's post of the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioner's (HRBC) last week.
Speaking to ABP News, a TMC MP Saugata Roy denied the claims of Adhikari joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "Suvendu Adhikari is not going to BJP. It was a foolish assumption. I'd a fruitful meeting with him today along with Prashant Kishore, Sudip Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. Things are sorted out. He is with TMC and we will work together to make Mamata win again," Roy said.
The closed-door meeting was discreetly held amongst Adhikari, Trinamool's second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee, party's leader in the Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay, veteran MP Sougata Roy and strategist Prashant Kishor at a building in north Kolkata.
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"The meeting was extremely well. Suvendu said he is very much in the party. He is not going anywhere," said Roy who was assigned by Mamata Banerjee to continue talks with the ex-transport minister.
"Whatever I told you about yesterday's meeting is true. If Suvendhu babu has changed his mind then he can only tell you about it. We have nothing to say," Roy said further.
According to sources, Adhikari was unhappy with organisational decisions taken by Abhishek Banerjee and Kishor. Adhikari and Banerjee were even seen taking pot-shots indirectly at each other without taking names at recent public meetings.
Speculations were rife if Suvendu would join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the crucial state Assembly polls scheduled in 2021. Even the state BJP leaders had said that they would welcome Adhikari if he wants to join the saffron brigade in Bengal.
(With additional inputs from Subrata Mukherjee)