Dilip Ghosh Skips Modi Rally, Flies Out to Delhi

SNS | Kolkata | July 19, 2025 : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh did not attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Durgapur on Friday, signalling deepening tensions between the former West Bengal party chief and the state leadership.

Ghosh, currently a national vice-president of the BJP, confirmed on Friday morning that he was flying to New Delhi instead. Speaking to reporters at Kolkata airport, Ghosh said:

“Workers had invited me, but it seems the party does not want me at the rally. If my presence creates discomfort, I will stay away.”

His absence from the Prime Minister’s event comes amid ongoing speculation over his marginalisation within the party’s Bengal unit. While local workers had reached out to him regarding Modi’s public meeting, Ghosh maintained that he never received a formal invitation from either the state or central leadership.

“I had planned to attend as a party worker. But I was not officially invited,” he said.

For days, uncertainty surrounded whether Ghosh would be present on the dais alongside the Prime Minister. Conflicting reports circulated, with some sources claiming he was sent an invitation, while others — including Ghosh himself — denied it.

On Thursday night, he posted a cryptic message on social media:

“We will remain. You are welcome,” — adding fuel to speculation.

Ghosh, known for his grassroots appeal and vocal criticism of internal party decisions, has been increasingly sidelined in recent months.

He was not invited to key events such as the recent visits of BJP national president J.P. Nadda or Union Home Minister Amit Shah, nor did he play any role in the state leadership transition that saw Shamik Bhattacharya take over as BJP’s West Bengal president.

Although Ghosh visited the BJP’s Salt Lake office recently — his first appearance there in months — hopes of a reconciliation appear to have dimmed again. 

“I’m going to Delhi on party work,” Ghosh said on Friday, declining to elaborate further.

His absence from Modi’s rally, one of the biggest political events in the state ahead of the upcoming assembly by-election, is being widely viewed as a sign of a widening rift between Ghosh and the Bengal BJP leadership.