KOLKATA: BJP’s West Bengal chapter has initiated a move to bring in two of its ‘star’ MPs, Sunny Deol and Gautam Gambhir, to inaugurate Durga Puja pandals in a move to gain political mileage.
BJP’s headquarters in Kolkata has already received requests from 40 puja organisers in Kolkata and around 200 from the other parts of the district to bring the party’s prominent faces to inaugurate their pandals.
“Selecting Deol and Gambhir is a calculated move. Gautam is popular in Kolkata as the Kolkata Knight Riders cricket team became champions under his leadership. Similarly, Deol has a considerable size of his fan followers in the city after his film Gadar became popular,’’ said a BJP leader.
Tushar Kanti Ghosh, BJP’s observer for sports and club relation cell, said Gambhir, an MP from Delhi (East) and Deol from Gurdaspur in Punjab would inaugurate a few pandals in Kolkata city.
“We have requested the party’s national leadership to send more prominent faces to inaugurate pujas in the city’s outskirts,’’ said Ghosh.
According to sources, Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Kolkata on October 1 and will inaugurate four pandals.
“Among the state-level leaders, BJP’s Bengal president Dilip Ghosh is the most sought after personality,’’ said another BJP leader.
Both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP have already got involved in an all-out jostling to take control over puja committees as the saffron camp is all set to challenge the TMC’s supremacy in organising the biggest religious event in Bengal.