Form of words:
New Delhi: When Dilip Ghosh was on Monday removed from the post of Bengal chief of the BJP and appointed as the national vice president of the party, the leader said The change on the national stage was the “recognition” of his “work and contribution”.
However, party sources point to Ghosh’s “work style” as one of the primary reasons he was ousted from power in Bengal and transferred to the relatively low-profile post of national vice president.
While BJP leaders say he was instrumental in the party’s victory in Bengal in 2019, his perceived “inability” to work with party members is seen as a factor in the exodus since this year’s assembly elections. He is going.
BJP has made great progress in Bengal since 2014. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, its tally increased to 18 (42 Lok Sabha seats in the state) from 2 in 2014. However, despite running an aggressive campaign led by its most prominent leaders, it could not defeat the Trinamool Congress in the 2021 assembly elections.
It won 77 seats in the 294-member assembly, up from three in 2016.
After losing the assembly elections, there is a deep churning going on in Bengal BJP. Reasons for inciting resentment include ticket grant The Trinamool took a jibe at the old-fashioned BJP leaders, blaming Ghosh and BJP’s West Bengal in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya.
The party’s primary concern right now is to stop the poaching of its MLAs and MPs by the Trinamool Congress, and to iron out differences for a fresh start before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP has lost four of its new MLAs since the results were declared in May. Asansol MP and former Union Minister Babul Supriyo, who Close Ghosh had bitter ties with the Trinamool Congress last week, and the leadership of the former Bengal BJP chief also came under question when BJP vice-president Mukul Roy, Returned For Trinamool Congress in June.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari also complained to the national leadership about his “uncooperative attitude” and “mismanagement”, BJP sources told ThePrint.
“Dilip Ghosh’s style of working, his inability to work with others in the party created factionalism and many leaders did not work together during the assembly elections, resulting in West Bengal despite all resources being deployed and PM Modi’s busy campaigning. BJP lost. A senior leader said.
“The management of his people was a major grievance among the party members. His fight started with Roopa Ganguly, later with Mukul Roy, then he angered Babul Supriyo. He was not Feather good terms Along with Kailash Vijayvargiya, recently he started having problems with Suvendu Adhikari,” the leader said.
Ghosh, who announced last month that his term as Bengal BJP would end in 2022, will succeed Sukanta Majumdar, the Lok Sabha MP from the state’s Balurghat constituency.
Speaking to ThePrint, BJP national secretary Anupam Hazara said that Majumdar “is a grassroots leader and comes from a very small place”. “He has the ability to work with everyone and build a strong BJP organization for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He has no ego, and good people management skills. “
The decision was made ‘quickly’
Ghosh is an alumnus of the RSS, who was appointed as the BJP Bengal chief in November 2015.
Talking about Ghosh’s style of work, a West Bengal MP said that he and Vijayvargiya took a “unilateral” decision during the distribution of tickets, and included turncoats without any hitch.
Sources said Vijayvargiya told the BJP high command several times that Roy would quit the party because of Ghosh, which eventually happened. A source said, “Many leaders left the party because of Dilip Ghosh’s style of functioning.”
When Roy left the party, BJP sources said, his son complained that a party camp had worked to defeat him in the 2021 election. He said Roy also complained that the party did not give him his due – he was neither included in the Union Cabinet nor given a Rajya Sabha ticket – even as he reported to Ghosh who was the BJP President.
Sources said he was appointed vice-president only after the BJP high command felt that he was ready to join the Trinamool Congress ahead of the elections.
Another BJP MP said that after the election mess, several party leaders complained about Ghosh and Vijayvargiya to the BJP leadership.
BJP national president JP Nadda said he had to call MP Saumitra Khan and some other members to convince him to continue in the party. The leader said that the BJP has inducted four MPs from the state in the Union Cabinet to prevent defection.
Supriyo’s defection comes at a time when he was named the star campaigner for the Bhawanipur bypoll, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is the Trinamool candidate.
This forced the BJP high command to take its decision on removing Ghosh, sources said. Sources said the party was planning to remove him in November, when his term ends, but instead decided to replace him immediately to prevent “further damage”.
“The message is clear. BJP is making a fresh start. The party now wants to start with a new leadership that has risen above the ranks, is ideologically committed and most importantly will work with all ,” said a BJP leader. “There is no resistance and anti-incumbency wave against Majumdar. He and Suvendu Adhikari will be a good team to lead the state and prepare for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
‘imminent to delete’
A senior leader in Delhi said the removal of Ghosh was “imminent”. “After an election defeat, how can you keep up with the same group of people? The BJP high command was not happy with the way Ghosh handled the party during and after the elections. His response was wrong and he did nothing to stop people from leaving the BJP,” the leader said.
“It is also a message that the party will learn to incorporate turncoats next time and it is time to promote new leadership ahead of the Lok Sabha elections to give a tough fight on all seats. However, now is the time to save your home.”
Another senior BJP functionary said Majumdar was recommended by Ghosh. “Though Ghosh was appointed Bengal BJP president in November 2015 and his second term was to end in November, the party high command had asked him in July to suggest a successor, for which he appointed Sukanta Majumdar to lead the state. name was recommended. He tweeted in July that it is important to cherish the sunset.
The BJP is also trying to strike a balance with geographical representation by appointing Sukanta Majumdar. The officers are from South Bengal but the BJP stronghold is North of Bengal. The selection of a leader from North Bengal is a message of greater concentration on North Bengal, at least in 2024 to maintain the party’s lead in North Bengal.
A Bengal BJP leader said Majumdar “has no friend or foe in the party, and he can work with Suvendu without arrogance”.
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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