Triggering fresh speculation about the links between Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) chairperson Sabyasachi Dutta and the saffron party, BJP leader Mukul Roy today paid him a visit at his house, a week before the no confidence motion being taken up against him is voted on.

Later, Mr Roy said that he had gone to find out what strategy was being adopted to tackle the no-confidence motion. “TMC councillors have signed a no confidence motion against Bidhannagar Mayor Sabyasachi Dutta and submitted it to Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation chairperson Krishna Chakraborty on Tuesday requesting her to convene a special board meeting to consider a resolution for removal of the Mayor. The meeting will be held on 18 July. I came to find out about Dutta’s strategy to win the no-confidence motion,” said Mr Roy.

The nearly four-month long drama over Bidhannagar Mayor and Trinamul Congress dissident leader Sabyasachi Dutta is headed towards a climax with the party clipping his wings and asked him to quit its fold, in addition to empowering the municipal corporation’s deputy mayor to take over most of the mayoral responsibilities.

The decision to virtually make Sabyasachi Dutta, who has been taking potshots at the party leadership for months, a lameduck mayor, was taken at a meeting chaired by urban development and municipal corporation minister Firhad Hakim in the presence of a majority of corporation councillors. Mr Roy visited his residence twice amidst speculation that the BJP will ask Mr Dutta to join the saffron party. Mr Roy, however, ruled this out by saying that no discussion took place on that issue. Earlier Mr Dutta, who is also ab MLA, invited Mr Roy for dinner at a posh club. On being asked whether it does not constitute breach of discipline, Dutta said: “Mukul Roy has come to give me his advice as he thinks I am going through a problem. But I am yet to get any letter or call from the party about any such decision.”

Mr Roy also said Mr Dutta had “helped” the BJP in the just concluded Lok Sabha polls, but gave an evasive reply as to whether the mayor would join the saffron outfit. “He has to take a decision first, and tell us about his intention. Then we will decide,” Mr Roy had said earlier

Taking a jibe at Mukul Roy, minister Firhad Hakim said “Mukul is suffering from immense guilt. After being a member of the Congress and Trinamul Congress where he had learnt the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Mukul has now adopted the saffron robe and sitting with the killers of Gandhi. To lessen his burden of guilt, he is now poaching on members of other political parties.”