Kabir Suman: 'Mamata Forced Me Into Politics, I'm Not a TMC Supporter'

Singer Kabir Suman has claimed he isn't a Trinamool supporter. In a recent interview, he said Mamata Banerjee had to persuade him to contest elections. He also criticised the TMC government for its mistakes, especially on the jobs front.

Just last March, singer Kabir Suman was seen standing right next to Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee at a protest in Dharmatala. He was vocal against the SIR. But now, after the election results, Suman seems to have done a complete 180-degree turn.

In a new interview, he said, "I am not a Trinamool supporter. I am not even a member of the party. Mamata practically had to beg me to stand for elections. Before that, I was never a member of any party. The moment my five-year term ended, I resigned."

He added, "I believe the Trinamool government has made several mistakes that people did not appreciate. The biggest one is jobs; countless people lost their jobs overnight. The question is, has Mamata done everything right as Chief Minister? The answer is no, she couldn't."

Suman admitted that he voted for Trinamool this time but wasn't happy with their performance. "The party's attitude and many of its statements have shocked people," he said. However, he also praised Mamata Banerjee for some of her work. "She has done a lot of good things too, like the Sabuj Sathi scheme, where children got cycles. For these works, maybe one day a temple will be built for Mamata."

He also claimed that he doesn't keep track of Abhishek Banerjee's work or politics. "I comment on Facebook because I want Trinamool to win," he explained. "Women's safety was ensured during both the CPM and Trinamool rule. I hope the new government will continue this tradition."

Interestingly, he said he would still vote for Trinamool if an election were held today. "But if a real communist party comes along, I will try to become a member even at this old age. I will write songs for them and stand by them," he declared.

After being associated with the party for so long, Suman's claim that he was never a member and was forced into it by the Chief Minister is being seen by many as an attempt to change his public image.