KOLKATA: BJP’s national president JP Nadda on Saturday summoned the party’s chief in Bengal Dilip Ghosh to Delhi amid murmurs that the saffron camp is likely to rejig its state unit.
The call from Shah came after the state president of the party's youth wing Saumitra Khan’ castigated the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and Ghosh in a Facebook live session.
Sources in the BJP said the issue of discontent expressed by many party functionaries after the party’s national vice-president Mukul Roy joined the Trinamool Congress is also likely to be discussed in the meeting.
"Many TMC turncoats, who joined the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections, expressed their discontent against the BJP in public after the party’s unimpressive performance in the Assembly elections. We fielded many turncoats in the Assembly elections and most of them failed to secure victory. Now the turncoats’ discontent and their willingness to return to the BJP is embarrassing our high command. Above all, the recent act of Khan, who also defected from the TMC, triggered embarrassment for both the state and national leaders,’’ said a BJP leader.
The leader said that Nadda might rejig the party’s state hierarchy facing intra-party discontent.
Referring to turncoats’ statements embarrassing the party, Ghosh on Saturday described them as the bark of other trees. "The party had pasted bark of other trees on itself which is now coming off. Those who joined the BJP recently are finding it difficult to fit in. Some of them are leaving. But old party workers have no such problem. We accepted a large number of people who came from other parties and gave them a chance to work. Now it is up to them to decide what they want to do,’’ he said.
Three days ago, Khan stepped down from the post of the party’s state youth wing president and later withdrew his resignation. In the Facebook live session, Khan accused Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of misleading the party’s national leadership by visiting Delhi frequently and alleged that Ghosh doesn’t understand half of the things. He also made a photo showing Ghosh shaking hands with TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh a display image of one of his WhatsApp accounts.
"It seems Khan may face the consequences for his acts. Besides, changes are likely to be made in the party’s different wings after Ghosh’s return from Delhi," said another BJP leader.