Dilip: Sorry, I can’t make them happy : Ghosh’s tenure as the Bengal BJP chief was cut short in September last year

Ghosh’s tenure as the Bengal BJP chief was cut short in September last year

Dilip Ghosh.:File Photo

Arkamoy Datta Majumdar   |   TT  |   Calcutta   |  27.05.22  :  BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh on Thursday “apologised” to all those who felt happy at the possibility of him moving out of Bengal and said he was “not going anywhere”.

A section of BJP leaders in Bengal, who are opposed to Ghosh, felt “relieved” and assumed that the Midnapore MP had been plucked out of the state with the central leadership assigning him the task of strengthening booth-level organisations in seven states and a Union territory.

Putting to rest all such speculations, Ghosh told The Telegraph: “Initially, I might need to go there a couple of times but the job will be done mostly over phone and virtually.”

“Updates and reports from these states can be monitored through an application. I don’t need to stay there,” he added, rejecting rumours that he would have to spend months travelling in his assigned territories.

Ghosh’s tenure as the Bengal BJP chief was cut short in September last year. He was replaced by Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumdar. The two have rarely been on the same page. Ghosh has differences with the state general secretary (organisation), Amitava Chakraborty, and Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari as well.

As the news of Ghosh’s purported removal from Bengal reached the state unit, a section known for the proximity to the current leadership said it was “good that he has been removed”.

On Thursday, Ghosh in a tongue-and-cheek retort said: “Sorry, I can’t make them happy. I’m not going anywhere.”

Ghosh said he would concentrate on his Lok Sabha constituency Midnapore, but would be available if the state unit wanted to use him. “Why will I go anywhere?” Ghosh asked.

Trinamul Congress leaders Firhad Hakim and Kunal Ghosh took a dig at the BJP and expressed “solidarity” with Ghosh. Hakim said what had happened to Ghosh wasn’t fair. “I don’t think Dilipda’s party evaluated him correctly,” Hakim added.

Kunal advised Dilip Ghosh to question his party for disrespecting him. “I’ll suggest that Dilipbabu defies the diktat,” he said.

Reacting to the comments from Trinamul, Ghosh said he knew why people like Hakim and Kunal were upset about his supposed removal. “They are sad because they will not have to listen to my name everyday,” Ghosh said.