Dilip Ghosh, former chief of West Bengal unit of BJP gave Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s rally in Durgapur today a miss. While he said that his presence would be a source of embarassment to the party leadership being the reason of his staying away, it was learnt from sources that he can change his mind if there is a formal invitation even if by phone from the central leadership of the party.Â
Ghosh did not elaborate on the nature of the “embarassment”. The party leadership too had been tightlipped.
Ghosh’s absence at the Durgapur rally would mark a significant point in current political development in West Bengal. Ghosh had been on a sulk ever since he lost in Durgapur Asansol constituency after having been almost arbitarily shifted from Kharagpur from which he had won and nursed into his pocket borough.
It is an open secret in BJP circles that the duo of the then state chief Sukanta Majumdar and leader of the Opposition(LoP) Suvendu Adhikari was inimical to Ghosh and had had sidelined him. Ghosh, it may be recalled was the most successful chief of the state unit during whose tenure the party had bagged18 seats in West Bengal, its highest tally till date.
The ice somehow melted post Shamik Bhattacharya replacing Majumdar as the state unit chief. Ghosh had called on him at the party office. Majumdar in his turn spoke glowingly of Ghosh’s contribution to the growth of the party.
Ghosh’s decision of not attending marks a U-turn. He had earlier said that he would attend responding to the call of the party activists.
The former state chief is known for his popularity among the rank and file. If I do not find a place in the dais, I would listen to the PM’s speech sitting with the party activists on the rally site, he added.
The BJP leadership remains clueless about his change of mind. Saffron camp circles are wondering whether an overhaul in the overall political situation is in the offing.
Ghosh had hugely embarassed his party after he attended together with his wife the inauguration of the Jaganath temple at Digha. The couple had received an invitation from chief minister, Mamata Banerjee herself.
For the past few days, state BJP circles have been rife with the possibility of Modi delivering a message of unity in the party at the Durgapur rally. Such a message would have been delivered by the PM with state chief Bhattacharya, LoP Adhikari and Ghosh.
His absence would indicate fissures remain in BJP’s West Bengal unit. It would have to take on TMC together with the Congress and Left in next year’s Assembly polls
