With the Assembly polls round the corner the Trinamool Congress has given the post of party vice-president to its one of its ace election managers, Mukul Roy.
Nearly a year after Mr. Mukul Roy was removed from the post of party’s general secretary in January 2015, as his name featured in financial scam and a CBI probe was initiated, he has been given the post of party’s national vice-president.
Though the Trinamool does not have the post of president or vice-president a new post has been created to appease Mr. Roy before the election. Mamata Banerjee is party's chairperson.
Before January 2015, the Rajya Sabha MP undoubtedly was the second most influential person in the Trinamool after party the chairperson. However, it remains to be seen whether with this new post Mr. Roy will wield the same influence which he had earlier.
Speaking to The Hindu on Sunday Mr. Roy confirmed the development. “Yes, reports of me being appointed as the party vice president are true. The decision was taken last Friday,” he said. Asked whether he has been given any responsibly in relation to the Assembly polls, he said that he had been given “several important tasks”.
The fall out of Mr. Roy with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee started when he was questioned by the CBI in relation to the Saradha scam. His assertion of “cooperating” with the CBI reportedly irked the Trinamool leadership.
Mr. Roy’s assurance of “cooperating” with the CBI drew swift reaction of the party as within a month after his aforesaid comment he was removed from the post of the party general secretary.
