From ministers to MLAs, BJP seniors in demand at Ganpati pandals
Times of India | 15 September 2026BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya, who attended several celebrations, including one in Posta, described Lord Ganesh as the “brand ambassador of industry” and linked the growing popularity of the festival with hopes for a renewed focus on industry, startups and business under the state’s new govt.
“The state has got a new govt. The popularity of Ganesh Puja has also increased in the state. I would tell everybody to pray for industries in Bengal. There is no way out for the state without industry, startups and business,” said Bhattacharya.
From ministers Dilip Ghosh and Tapas Roy to MLAs Vijay Ojha, Sajal Ghosh, Arjun Singh and Purnima Chakraborty, a number of BJP functionaries were present at different Ganesh Puja programmes. BJP councillor and former deputy mayor Meena Devi Purohit, along with senior party functionaries such as Santosh Pathak and Rakesh Singh, also attended celebrations.
The rush for BJP functionaries at the puja inaugurations comes after the party’s electoral victory in Bengal and the formation of its govt in May. With a large number of newly elected BJP representatives now holding public office, their presence has become increasingly visible at neighbourhood events and community celebrations.
Several BJP functionaries are also associated with local organising committees. Jorasanko MLA Vijay Ojha attended several Ganesh Puja programmes over the weekend. These included the 26th Ganesh Mahotsav organised by Shri Shri Siddhi Vinayak Bhakt Mandal at Nimbutalla Chowk, also known as Kothari Park, and the Ganesh Puja inauguration and blood donation camp organised by Pallibasi Brinda. He also attended the Ganesh Puja inauguration at Ramlila Bagan in the Kashipur-Belgachhia constituency.
“It gives us immense happiness that the festival is being celebrated with so much grandeur in Kolkata. May Ganesha bestow prosperity and peace on everybody,” said Ojha.
Meena Devi Purohit attended the Ganesh Puja Mahotsav organised by Pragati Sangh at the invitation of organiser Rupa Kundu. She also attended the Shri Shri Ganesh Puja Mahotsav organised by Thanthania Yuvak Sangh. “I prayed for peace and prosperity in Bengal,” said Purohit.
Santosh Pathak attended the inauguration of a Ganesh Puja in Janbazar, while Dilip Ghosh attended the Ganesh Puja at Banstalla in Burrabazar along with Pathak and Ojha.
The increasing demand for political representatives at such programmes also coincides with the steady growth of Ganesh Puja in Kolkata over the past decade. Once largely concentrated in certain pockets of the city and among particular communities, the festival has gradually become a more prominent feature of Kolkata’s annual festive calendar. More neighbourhood committees are now organising pujas, with decorated pandals, cultural programmes and community activities becoming part of the celebrations.
