TMC MLA Debashree Roy makes unsuccessful attempt to meet

Two time TMC MLA Debashree Roy, who is seeking to join BJP, made an unsuccessful attempt to meet the saffron party's West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh at his residence here, party sources said on Thursday.

Roy, who had visited the BJP headquarters in Delhi on August 14, went to Ghosh's residence at 11 pm, they said.

Her joining the BJP is being opposed by former TMC leader and Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee who had switched over to BJP on that day in Delhi.

Roy, a yesteryears national award winning actress, is a two time MLA from Raidighi constituency in South 24 Parganas.

According to BJP sources, Roy was taken to the BJP headquarters by a senior state BJP leader with the assurance that she would join the party. But following Chatterjee's objection, she was left to fend on her own and had to return empty handed.

"She is now trying to join BJP as she has no place in TMC any more. That is why she had come to meet Dilip Ghosh," a senior BJP functionary said.

When asked to comment on the development, Ghosh said "I have heard she had come to meet me. But I was not present in the house. We don't have any problem with her joining the party. If someone wants to join then we will discuss the matter and then take a call on it".

Chatterjee told reporters on Thursday that he has already informed the BJP leadership about his reservations over Roy joining the saffron camp.

Chatterjee along with his friend Baisakhi Bandopadhyay, who had joined the BJP along with him, held a meeting with the party's co-obeserver for Bengal Arvind Menon late last night and spoke about various issues being faced by them since joining the saffron camp.