MF’s lone MP rides off into the sunset
AS speculation swirls around the political future of former Minority Front MP Roy Bhoola, the man himself says he just wants to finish writing his book.
Bhoola resigned on Sunday last week in the wake of the party’s dismal performance in the May 7 elections, in which it lost its only parliamentary seat and was able to retain only one of its two KwaZulu-Natal legislature seats.
He said faction fighting in the party and the rejection of his election campaign strategy were the main reasons for his departure.
Since he sent his resignation letter to MF leader Shameen Thakur Rajbansi, rumours have abounded that Bhoola would join another political party — with the ANC and DA the most likely options.
But Bhoola, who describes himself as a “prodigy of the Bengal Tiger”, said this week that although he had been “approached by several political parties”, he was “taking time off”.
“My extreme focus for now is directed towards completing my book. But let me tell you, in the true Bengal Tiger style, we’ll doublecross that bridge when we get there.”
Bhoola said he hoped the book would be completed by August. “I want to extensively elaborate on my entrance into politics. I was approached by the Bengal Tiger to enter politics and I want to deal with that in my book. I want to deal with the issue of the roles of minorities in this country. Let me say this: it’s going to be a well-researched book of all my work in parliament and in constituencies.”
Whether or not the book would deal with his departure from the MF, he would not say. But in his resignation letter, which was sent to the Sunday Times Extra this week, Bhoola laments party infighting and said he felt unappreciated in MF ranks. Bhoola was often at loggerheads with Thakur Rajbansi.
She, however, praised Bhoola for his role in the party and said she would continue to work with his wife, Shrihta, who is a councillor in Umdoni on the South Coast.