Former West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh says party did not invite him to PM rally, gives it a miss

Dilip Ghosh, former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, remained absent from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s event in the State on Friday, claiming the party “did not invite” him. 

“The party cadre had called me to attend the rally. But the party did not invite me. Maybe they do not want me there; it would make them uncomfortable. So, I will not go to the Prime Minister’s rally. I am going to Delhi instead, for some work related to the party,” Mr Ghosh told media persons at the Kolkata airport before departing for Delhi. 

In Delhi, he was seen going to the residence of national BJP president JP Nadda, and leaving in a few minutes. Meanwhile, on the same day, in West Bengal’s Durgapur, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated key development projects and attended a party rally. 

Mr. Ghosh has notably remained absent from important party events and rallies in the recent past, including events attended by Prime Minister Modi at Alipurduar and Home Minister Amit Shah in Kolkata this year. 

His absence on Friday assumes significance considering the upcoming Martyrs’ Day rally by the Trinamool on July 21. Speculations are rife that Mr Ghosh is potentially joining Trinamool. 

Amid reports of a souring relationship between Mr. Ghosh and the State BJP leadership, the newly appointed West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya had reached out to Mr Ghosh on July 8 this year. 

After their in-person meeting, Mr. Bhattacharya described Mr. Ghosh as the “heart and soul” of the party, while Mr. Ghosh said that he will follow instructions from the party leadership like any other party worker. 

Mr. Ghosh is a senior leader of the BJP in the State and has served as a national vice president and State president of the BJP. Under his leadership, the BJP had won 18 out of the State’s 42 Lok Sabha seats in 2019.

He was earlier elected as an MP from Medinipur in 2019 and an MLA from Kharagpur Sadar in 2016.

In May this year, Mr. Ghosh drew criticism from the BJP when he met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the inauguration of the Digha Jagannath Temple. The erstwhile State BJP President, Sukanta Majumder, was quick to clarify to the media that the party had decided not to attend the temple inauguration, and Mr, Ghosh’s presence was in his personal capacity.