Babul Supriyo said Mamata Banerjee would decide his role in the Trinamool.
Bollywood singer-turned-BJP politician Babul Supriyo had a "musical meeting" on Monday with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose party, the Trinamool Congress, he joined on Saturday.
The Chief Minister asked him to work and also sing "with all his heart", the former Union Minister of State for Environment and popular playback singer of 'Kaho Na Pyar Hai' fame told reporters in Kolkata after the meeting.
"I'm very happy to meet her. The affection and warmth with which she welcomed me to the Trinamool family..." Mr Supriyo said.
"She asked me to work with all my heart and sing with all my heart, which I think is the icing on the cake. She said 'Pujor samayo tumi gaan karo' (It's Puja time, you sing)."
Mr Supriyo said will go to Delhi on Wednesday and submit his resignation as BJP MP to the Lok Sabha Speaker that very day if he gets an appointment. While that should shut criticism from a lot of BJP leaders in the state, Mr Supriyo's role in the Trinamool Congress is still somewhat unsettled.
"My role in the party is entirely the prerogative of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee," Mr Supriyo said. "I have nothing to say in the matter."
Trinamool Congress's acquisition before Mr Supriyo, Sushmita Dev of the Congress, on Monday filed her nomination papers for Rajya Sabha seat. Babul Supriyo could go the same way as Rajya Sabha MP Arpita Ghosh coincidently resigned last week. Or he could be named minister in the West Bengal government and deployed to fight a by-poll in the coming months so that he is elected MLA in the Bengal assembly.
On Saturday, the Asansol MP said he was disillusioned with the BJP, of which he was a member till recently, and quit because he was not okay with being benched.
He was asked to step down from the Union Minister's post ahead of the last Union cabinet rejig in July. On the 31st of the month, Mr Supriyo had said he was quitting politics. Calling himself a "one-team player", he said he won't be joining any other party. But a conversation with Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien last week and then Trinamool General secretary Abhishek Banerjee made him rethink his options. A phone call from Mamata Banerjee changed his mind.
After meeting Ms Banerjee today, the first time since joining the party, he said, "We had a very musical talk. At the same time whatever she said was really music to my ears. I want to thank didi and Abhishek (Banerjee) for welcoming me so affectionately and warmly into the Trinamool family."
His comments came a day after he said Ms Banerjee was among the frontrunners for the prime ministerial post in 2024.