Singer Babul Supriyo, who created a major upset during the Lok Sabha elections by winning from West Bengal's Asansol constituency by contesting on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket, may finally get his due. West Bengal BJP President Rahul Sinha indicated on Saturday that Babul is likely to be inducted in the Union ministry during its expansion on Sunday.
"As per information from my party sources, Babul Supriyo will be inducted in the Union Council of Ministers tomorrow," Sinha said during a press conference. He added Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had called Babul on Friday in this regard and quoted the MP as saying that he had received an invitation to be present in Delhi.
During NDA rule under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the BJP had two Ministers of state (MoS) from West Bengal, but at that time the party was in alliance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The political condition of the state has changed radically since then. The BJP is fast turning out to be the No 1 adversary of the TMC in Bengal, and as part of Amit Shah's expansion policy, the party is looking to go for broke for the upcoming assembly elections in 2016.
Babul Supriyo's possible inclusion even as a junior minister is thus significant in this context. The BJP wants to give the message that it is taking Bengal seriously. The state, even at the peak of Modi wave in 2014, has been relatively immune with the saffron party winning just two out of 42 seats. One of them was with the support of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM). Babul Supriyo was the sole person who won by fighting alone. But the party has got considerable traction since last May, especially with massive dissent building up against the ruling TMC government in the state.
A good communicator, Babul is also known to be extremely close to Baba Ramdev, who persuaded him to contest the elections in the first place. Babul, on his part though, is extremely circumspect because he narrowly missed out on making the cut the first time.
According to The Hindu, Babul Supriyo's PA has only confirmed that he will be going to the capital for 'official reasons'. If Babul does indeed become a minister, many believe the stage will also be set for a fight with West Bengal BJP President Rahul Sinha about who will be the BJP's chief ministerial candidate in the 2016 assembly elections.
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