Mukul Roy resigns from party's working committee

Kolkata, Sep 25: Dealing a major blow to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her once 'Man Friday' Mukul Roy today resigned from the party's working committee, thereby setting at rest all speculations doing rounds over his strained relationship with the party. Mr Roy, ruling Trinamool Congress founder member Mukul Roy and Rajya Sabha MP told reporters that he would quit the organisation and the Rajya Sabha post after Durga Puja festival. Sixty-three-year-old former Indian Railways Minister, Mr Roy, who was once the close confidante to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the party affairs, told a media conference that he would explain everything why he took such a decision once he put final paper to dissociate himself with the All India Trinamool Congress and also Rajya Sabha. Incidentally, Mr Roy was the first signatory in the formation of AITC on December 17, 1997. Mr Roy, whose son is also a TMC MLA from Kanchrapra, was stripped of many important posts in the party and often criticised by present TMC Secretary General and State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on many a issues. " With a heavy heart and on principle, today I quit the TMC working committee membership and will give up party's primary membership and Rajya Sabha MP after Durga Puja festival is over, ' Mr Roy said in front of suspended TMC Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh. UNI