Kolkata: Ahead of the announcement of results for the six Assembly bypolls in West Bengal, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh openly criticised his party, stating that the BJP's decline began after the 2021 assembly elections. He also raised questions about the party's response to the RG Kar Medical College incident, acknowledging that the BJP's current state in the state is far from ideal. Adding to speculation, Ghosh hinted at possibly stepping away from active politics.
Ghosh, who lost his position as the state BJP president and faced defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, seems sidelined within the party. Speaking out against the BJP's leadership, he said, “The party’s downfall started after 2021. Results are not favourable; we are on a downward trend.”
In the six bypolls conducted in West Bengal on November 13, the BJP was trailing on all seats at the time of writing as the counting of votes were underway on Saturday.
RG Kar Incident And BJP’s 'Silence'
The RG Kar Medical College case, involving the alleged rape and murder of a young doctor, sparked massive protests led by junior doctors across the state. An unprecedented citizens’ movement gained attention, but opposition BJP could not seem to leverage the issues politically. On the contrary, when BJP leaders like Abhijit Gangopadhyay attempted to engage, they faced backlash with slogans like "Go Back".
Drawing comparisons to significant movements like Singur and Nandigram, which eventually propelled Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress to power, Ghosh lamented the BJP’s failure to capitalise on pressing issues. “An issue can change politics. Singur and Nandigram altered the political landscape. Despite so many incidents happening now, perhaps our party is unable to take up these issues,” he said.
Reacting to his comment, TMC state secretary Kunal Ghosh taunted the BJP leader, saying, “Don’t lose hope, friend, speak louder!” He also said there seemed to have been some internal conspiracies within the BJP against Ghosh, a sentiment echoed by the former state BJP chief in earlier statements.
Tensions Within BJP And Speculation About Dilip Ghosh's Future In Party
Ghosh had previously criticised decisions to shift him from his familiar Medinipur constituency to contest from the riskier Bardhaman-Durgapur seat, where he lost earlier this year.
Reflecting on his political journey, Ghosh said, "As long as I feel there’s scope, I will stay in politics. Before the last election, I told the party I didn’t want to contest because I knew the results. There comes a time when we must fulfil the party’s responsibilities. I was given key roles that I never imagined—MLA, MP. I’ve done my duties, taught the party to fight. I feel my political responsibilities are coming to an end.”
Ghosh’s remarks have fuelled speculation about whether he is considering stepping away from politics entirely. The leader, under whose guidance the BJP achieved its best-ever Lok Sabha performance in Bengal in 2019, now appears marginalised. Questions are also being raised about the roles of central leaders like Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and JP Nadda in Ghosh’s sidelining.
BJP MP Locket Chatterjee defended the party’s evolution, saying, “The party grows through change. After Dilipda, Sukantada became the president, and in the future, someone else will take over. This is not a reason to leave politics. Bengal needs a leader like Dilipda.”
This report first appeared on ABP Ananda, and has been translated from Bengali.