RSS to mediate in solving dissent between state BJP leaders
The Statesman | 10 May 2025
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has intervened in a simmering power tussle within the Bengal BJP, seeking to heal the growing rift between former state party president Dilip Ghosh and the current leadership helmed by state president Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of Opposition in Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.
According to highly placed sources, senior RSS functionaries have met Ghosh in an attempt to broker peace, amid signs of escalating friction. The move comes after Ghosh and his wife Rinku recently visited the Jagannath temple in Digha, an act that drew sharp criticism from BJP leaders aligned with the party’s current leadership, particularly due to the temple’s association with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. While Adhikari did not name Ghosh directly, he has issued statements hinting at “contamination” and “compromise”, alluding to Ghosh’s perceived proximity to the Trinamul Congress.
Advertisement
Majumdar too has made pointed remarks, publicly distancing himself from Ghosh’s actions and interviews. Faced with increasing isolation, Ghosh, known for his grassroots connect and history as a dedicated RSS pracharak in multiple states, has chosen to escalate the matter to his ideological alma mater. He visited the RSS’s state headquarters, Keshav Bhavan in Kolkata, where he is believed to have held extensive discussions with top Sangh officials. Ghosh reportedly laid bare his grievances, singling out “turncoat” BJP leaders for orchestrating a campaign to sideline him. He made it clear that he has no intention of compromising with these individuals and remains committed to his combative style of politics.
Speaking to RSS leaders, Ghosh asserted: “I was sent to the BJP by the RSS. If they now want, they can recall me. But I will not surrender to political opportunism.” According to insiders, he provided a detailed account of the internal sabotage he claims to be facing and warned that attempts to brand him as “anti-party” over his Digha visit were both unjust and politically motivated.
In response, the RSS leadership is believed to have assured Ghosh that the matter would be addressed with the urgency it deserves, indicating their intent to prevent a further public meltdown within the Bengal unit. Despite the internal tensions, Majumdar downplayed any discord. “There is no infighting in the party. Differences of opinion may exist, but there’s no emotional disconnect,” he told reporters on Thursday. “Our only goal is to oust the Trinamul from power in Bengal.”
However, Ghosh’s exclusion from both the BJP core committee and the extended state executive meeting earlier this week suggests otherwise. Party insiders say his growing distance from the state’s power centre reflects a deliberate move by a dominant faction keen to sideline him.
In the midst of these developments, the RSS’s direct involvement underscores the severity of the crisis. With the BJP eyeing 2026 as a crucial test of its electoral viability in Bengal, the Sangh’s mission is now clear: to avert a full-blown split within its ranks, even if it means forcing reconciliation between old warhorses and new power centres.
Will Ghosh fall in line or continue his lone battle? That, for now, remains an open question.