KOLKATA: With just a few months left for the West Bengal Assembly elections, Meghalaya Governor and former BJP leader Tathagata Roy has expressed desire to return to active politics in his home state once his tenure as the governor ends.
The 74-year-old former West Bengal BJP president also expressed his disagreement with some of the "illogical" comments made by the saffron party's state leadership and felt those "did not go down well with the people of the state".
Roy, during a recent webinar, expressed his desire to return to active politics in West Bengal if the party leadership is willing.
"After my tenure as the governor ends, I would like to return to active politics and serve West Bengal. After I return to my state, I will talk to the party (about it). It is up to them to accept or reject my proposal," Roy told PTI.
Roy was the state BJP president from 2002-2006 and a member of the BJP's national executive from 2002-2015.
He was appointed as the governor of Tripura in May, 2015 and later took over as the governor of Meghalaya in August, 2018.
His tenure as the Meghalaya governor ended in May but it was extended due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
When his comments were sought on some controversial statements made by the state BJP leaders, Roy, without naming anyone, said he feels that certain statements have done "more harm than good to the party".
"In West Bengal, the North Indian culture of 'Gai Hamari Mata Hain' (cow is our mother) won't work. Statements such as cow's milk has gold or cow urine can cure COVID-19 won't help the BJP in West Bengal," he said.
Although state BJP president Dilip Ghosh declined to comment on the issue, a section of the saffron party leadership felt Roy's comments were aimed at him.
"I don't want to comment on this matter as I have not heard those statements," Ghosh said.
A senior state BJP leader, on the condition of anonymity, said, "No one should forget that Dilip da is the most successful state BJP president of West Bengal."
"Everyone can have opinions. But the fact is that had the people not accepted Dilip Ghosh's statements, the BJP would have never won 18 Lok Sabha seats in the state," the saffron party leader said.
Ghosh, also the Midnapore MP, had courted controversy in November last year by saying that an Indian cow's milk contains traces of gold which is why it is yellowish in colour.
The state is scheduled to go to Assembly elections in April or May next year.