Accused of 'changing parties like clothes', Babul Supriyo's reply to BJP leader

Months after fighting the Bengal assembly elections for the BJP, singer-politician Babul Supriyo is set to fight the Ballygunge bypolls for the ruling Trinamool Congress next month. Weeks ahead of the Bengal bypolls, his contender took a potshot at him for switching sides. She said Supriyo changed parties "like changing clothes". "He spoilt the name of Benglis by deceiving PM (Narendra) Modi. Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also deceived by Mamata Banerjee. These people are ruining the image of Bengalis," the BJP's Keya Ghosh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Supriyo,51, shot back in his tweets: "Over-confidence is a very dangerous thing, no wonder 'Keya Ghosh' doesn't know it. There is no knowledge of history, so one does not know that changing a party once in politics cannot be compared to 'changing clothes'," his tweet, roughly translated from Bengali, read.

On April 12, bypolls will be held in Bengal for the parliamentary constituency of Asansol and assembly constituency of Ballygunge. Earlier this month, Mamata Banerjee announced the party's picks for the elections - Supriyo for Ballygunge and actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha for Asansol.

Supriyo, who had been a harsh critic of Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress, had switched from the BJP to the TMC months after the party won Bengal by a huge margin. The former union minister had also resigned from his Lok Sabha seat - Asansol.

Using Trinamool's poll slogan - "Khela hobe" (Let the game begin), Keya Ghosh said: "We don't want 'Khela Hobe' of murdering people but a democratic 'Khela Hobe'. Earlier, Babul Supriyo asked for votes for BJP and now he will ask for votes against BJP. People will laugh at him. He was made union minister twice," singer-politician Ghosh, also contesting the bypoll from Ballygunge, said.

(With inputs from ANI)