Trinamool Congress general secretary Mukul Roy today held a close-door meeting with six rebel Congress MLAs here to explore the possibility of inducting them into the party.
The MLAs with whom Roy met had fallen foul of the Congress high command after they criticised the leadership for entering into a pre-poll tie-up with the CPI-M in West Bengal, arguing that it reflected badly on the party's position as the principal opposition party in Tripura.
In a bid to blunt the revolt, the high command had suspended MLA Sudip Roy Barman who led the pack of six disgruntled MLAs.
Coming here as the emissary of TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Roy, whose brief was likely to test the political water in the state in view of the revolt, was welcomed by Roy Barman and MLAs like Asish Saha, DC Hrangkhawl and Pranajit Singha Roy at the Agartala airport.
From the airport, Roy was driven to Roy Barman's quarters where he met the rebel legislators in an effort to rope them in.
Later, Roy went to Congress MLA Dilip Sarkar in the Charipara area, on the outskirts of Agartala, to know his 'mind' as he is still undecided over switching over to the Trinamool Congress.
Asked about the outcome of his visit, Roy told the media, "Let the child be matured enough, then we tell you everything. What I can say now is that the meeting was fruitful".
Roy Barman is trying to gain support of at least seven MLAs to evade the clasp of the anti-defection law as the Congress's strength in the Assembly stands at 10.
Although the rebel Congress MLAs were tightlipped over the entire issue, party sources said Roy would brief Mamata Banerjee on the political scenario obtain in the Marxist-ruled state.
(Reopens CAL1)
"Today we had a meeting with Mukul Roy. I along with six other MLAs will soon join TMC in Agartala. We want to follow the footsteps of Mamata Banerjee. The day of joining TMC is yet to be decided," Barman told
