NEW DELHI, July 31: Disappointed over losing his cabinet berth, the former union minister and BJP member of the Lok Sabha Babul Supriyo, a celebrated singer of Bollywood and Bengali screen, has decided to quit politics.
He made the announcement in a long Facebook post in Bengali on Saturday admitting that loss of the cabinet berth to be one of the reasons to quit politics. “Alvida,” he said, in his post emphasizing that he had no plans to join any other political party and said he needed time to concentrate to devote himself to social services which could be done without remaining in politics.
Babul Supriyo, a minister of state for environment and forest in the second Narendra Modi cabinet, was dropped from the ministry during the reshuffle of the cabinet earlier this month.
“Have listened to what my father, wife, daughter and a few close friends had to say. After listening to everything, I am saying that I am not going to any other party. I am confirming that I am not joining the Congress, not the CPM. Neither they have called me, nor I am going. I am a one-team player. Have always supported Mohun Bagan.. have done only one party politics, BJP West Bengal.. That’s it!” the former minister wrote.
Babul’s political career received two major blows in the recent days. Before he was dropped from the union cabinet, he was also defeated in the West Bengal state Assembly elections in April-May.
(Manas Dasgupta)
