BJP reprimands West Bengal party chief Dilip Gosh

NEW DELHI: With trouble brewing within BJP’s West Bengal unit, since the party lost the assembly polls in the state a year ago, the central party leadership has written a strongly worded letter to former state party chief Dilip Ghosh. He has been reprimanded for his public remarks that seem to have hurt the party’s interest by "embarrassing" its central leaders.
The BJP central leadership has resumed its focus on Bengal, and has been very aggressive in targeting the Mamata Banerjee government and her Trinamool Congress party, to counter the consistent flow of leaders and cadres moving back to TMC from BJP having joined the saffron camp before the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. BJP's efforts are aimed at retaining some strength on the ground that it had gained before the polls, with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Ghosh received the letter from the party headquarters here, that said, "While you commitment has been absolute, there have been some avoidable instances when some of your statements or outbursts have anguished the state party leaders and have also caused embarrassment to the central leadership. This was pointed out to you on several occasions in the fond hope that you wll take note. Given your standing and stature, you are expected to inspire, lead, direct and hold together your own party colleagues at all levels."
Ghosh, national vice president in the party at present, had publicly criticised his successor Sukanta Majumdar's handling of party affairs in the state. "Sukanta Majumdar is less experienced. The party has been fighting for a long time and there are experienced veterans. They should be put up to fight in the state," Ghosh had told reporters.
The letter sent to Ghosh on Monday, signed by BJP headquarters in-charge Arun Singh, referred to a recent TV interview of him where the former state party chief had been highly critical of his colleagues in the state party unit. It said, "In a recent interview, your comments in the electronic media and perhaps on other forums have been openly critical of senior state functionaries. Such comments will only hurt and harm the party and negate your own hard work in the past."
Pointing out that, "the national leadership of the BJP is deeply concerned at the issuance of such statements through the media. On the instructions of national (party) president JP Nadda ji, I wish to convey to you the party's deep anguish. I sincerely hope you would appreciate the sensitivity of the situation, particularly in West Bengal, and shall always remain more discreet in your dealings with the media or any public fora," Singh said in the letter, on behalf of the central leadership.
Since the party’s defeat in the assembly polls, BJP has lost several leaders including MLAs and MPs, who have switched over to the TMC, including the latest MP from Barrackpore, Arjun Singh who had shifted from TMC before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and won his parliamentary seat on a BJP ticket, but returned to TMC, just a week ago.