Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) stalwart Tapas Roy, who tendered his resignation from the ruling party in West Bengal merely two days prior, officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday.
Roy, having relinquished his role as a TMC MLA on Monday, cited a sense of disillusionment with the leadership within the party as his reason for departure.
"I have made the decision to align myself with the BJP today, driven by my desire to combat the mismanagement and injustices perpetuated by the TMC," he proclaimed, upon receiving the BJP's party flag from state president Sukanta Majumdar and Suvendu Adhikari.
In response, the TMC refuted Roy's assertions, accusing him of forsaking his principles and ideological stance for personal gain.
"Treachery, such as that exhibited by Tapas Roy, who abandoned the party in pursuit of self-interest, will not be pardoned by the people of Bengal," asserted TMC leader Santanu Sen.
Roy, boasting a political tenure spanning five terms as an MLA, castigated the TMC and its leader Mamata Banerjee for purportedly neglecting him during times of adversity. He expressed his frustration over the party's perceived silence in the wake of an ED raid on his residence on January 12, pertaining to alleged irregularities in municipal recruitment processes.
