Bharatiya Janata Party leader Tathagata Roy has been kept away from the party's power circle in West Bengal. Roy's re-induction into the BJP has not been done even months after he chose to be back to politics from the job of governor.
Roy had met BJP state president Dilip Ghosh and even asked for his role in the party. However, the party has showed no interest in Roy, a former governor of Meghalaya and Tripura.
Known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Roy did want to serve the state of Tripura when BJP came to power there in 2018. But he was shifted to Meghalaya. Roy had spent his childhood in Shillong.
As the Bengal election is round the corner, his joining the BJP was insightful. But the party refused to give any major role. He was not even called to any meeting of the state leadership. During the party's much hyped 'Nabanno Chalo' agitation, Roy even went to Delhi to meet party's national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santosh.
Asked about the stalemate situation, Roy paused for a moment and then chose not to say much. "I am serving the party on my own way. Let's not discuss on it anymore as of now," he said.
Dilip Ghosh said Roy is a very experienced leader. "And his experience will be used by the party like we used others' as well," he added.
However, according to sources, the BJP feels that giving too much prominence to Roy at this juncture could boomerang on the party. The BJP has come a long way in the state since last decade. It is now filled with new followers and new leadership. At the same time, the party is also keeping door ajar for the defectors from other parties. Here, giving priority to Roy could mean reviving the old guards in the party, which the leadership hardly would like to do. Old guards could hamper the growth through their rigid ideologies.
Roy, however, is not silent. He has recently held meetings with Matua community leaders and, sources said, asked them to raise voice on why the CAA is yet to be implemented despite being legislated.
So, even if sidelined, Roy, the academician-turned-politician, would play his cards according to his wishes. He can be even critical to the BJP as days progress.