The Trinamool Congress general secretary, Mukul Roy, met West Bengal chief minister (CM), Mamata Banerjee for an hour-long closed-door meeting at the state secretariat at Nabanna, a few hours before leaving for New Delhi on Monday. Roy has reportedly distanced himself from the CM.
According to Trinamool Congress insiders, while for Roy the meeting was a balancing act, for the chief minister the meeting was crucial to keep the party general secretary in her fold as well as to find out what he has revealed to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) during his interrogation on January 30.
Both Roy and the CM were tight-lipped over what transpired in the meeting.
“For Roy, meeting the CM was a balancing act. After the CBI interrogation last Friday, he avoided the chief minister and instead held two press conferences at two different places, which gave rise to speculation on whether he would also skip the extended core committee meeting of Trinamool the very next day. Had he avoided Nabanna too on Monday, before leaving for Delhi, then political speculations would have surely reached a new height,” a member of the state cabinet said.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress insiders said that Roy’s confidence ever since he faced the CBI interrogation has made the party leadership panicky on what he has revealed.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress insiders said that Roy’s confidence ever since he faced the CBI interrogation has made the party leadership panicky on what he has revealed.
{{/usCountry}}Trinamool Congress leaders also feel that whether it is the first sign of a vertical split within the party.
“Monday’s meeting was probably an opportunity to feel Roy’s pulse on both these issues,” another member of the state cabinet said.
However, he added, that he personally feels that the distance created between Banerjee and Roy cannot be bridged so easily since a sense of distrust is evident between the two of them.