Dilip Ghosh, a prominent West Bengal BJP leader and former state president, has announced his decision to stay away from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Durgapur rally. Ghosh stated clearly that he did not receive an invitation to attend the event, hence he will not be present. Speaking to the media, Ghosh said, "I have not been invited, so I will not attend the rally." This statement once again points towards the long-standing factionalism and internal conflicts within the Bengal BJP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in West Bengal on Friday after his visit to Bihar. He will address a massive public gathering in Durgapur and, prior to that, will inaugurate development projects worth over ₹5,000 crore at a government event. This rally is considered part of the BJP's preparations for the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections. However, the absence of a senior leader like Dilip Ghosh from such a crucial political event has once again highlighted the ongoing discord within the organization.
Dilip Ghosh and Rahul Sinha Absent from Invitation List
A senior BJP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that the rally was specifically organized for the Durgapur-Burdwan region, and only leaders from that area were invited. He said, "When there is a rally in the Kolkata region, Dilip Ghosh will also be invited." Besides Dilip Ghosh, former state president Rahul Sinha was also not invited to attend this rally.
Dilip Ghosh himself said, "Invitations have been sent according to zones. Hopefully, when Modiji comes to the Kolkata zone, I will be called." However, political analysts believe that it would not be politically correct to consider Ghosh's absence from such an important event attended by the Prime Minister as merely a technical error. It is clear that everything is not well within the BJP.
Bengal BJP Simmering from Within
According to a PTI report, party insiders have acknowledged that despite the recent public meetings between state president Samik Bhattacharya and Dilip Ghosh, the rift between the two remains. The meeting between the two leaders at the party office in Salt Lake last week was portrayed as a sign of unity, but differences still persist behind the scenes.
Although Dilip Ghosh has repeatedly dismissed reports of leaving the BJP, his sarcastic remarks, such as "Jol nei, ponao nei" (Neither water, nor fish), are fueling these speculations rather than weakening them. His comments are being seen as an indirect attack on the party's current leadership, making it clear that internal strife within the Bengal BJP is still at its peak.
