BIG: Overcoming controversy, Dilip Ghosh re-elected BJP's Bengal chief; will fight Mamata

Amidst massive controversy over his 'shoot out' comment, Member of Parliament from Medinipur, Dilip Ghosh was elected as the state BJP President for Bengal for the second time in a row on Thursday. Dilip Ghosh filed his nomination for the top Bengal job on January 15.

Ghosh had no other competitors, as no one apart from him had filed for nominations on Wednesday. The re-election will make him BJP's commander-in-chief for the upcoming 2021 elections in Bengal as his tenure will end in 2023.

The result of the uncontested elections for Bengal BJP top post was declared after a top-level meeting at National Library in Kolkata. Ghosh's name was announced by national executive member Murlidhar Rao of BJP.

The meeting saw an array of top Bengal leadership ranging from Arvind Mennon to Rahul Sinha to Mukul Roy. Ghosh, who became the West Bengal BJP chief in December 2015, was continuing as state president even after completion of his term in December 2018 as the party was due to contest the Lok Sabha elections last year. Even though Ghosh had been facing some flak within the party for his 'shoot out' comment, the result saw congratulations pouring in from all sections within the party.

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Dilip Ghosh backs out of Shoot-out comment 

Dilip Ghosh backed his 'shoot out' comment on Wednesday after filling his nomination. The MP stated that he spoke straight and spoke in full awareness. Reiterating his stand once again, Ghosh said "will do things like this if we come to power!"

"I have said it publicly, in a public meeting. Nothing new has been said by me. No one has criticized the vandalism. I am criticising it and said what should be done to who resort to vandalism. I have said this in full awareness. Will do things like this if we come to power", said Dilip Ghosh whose 'shoot out' comment on Sunday marked a major controversy, which drew flack from union minister Babul Supriyo himself. 

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In 2014, Ghosh was brought into BJP from RSS and was appointed as the General Secretary of the West Bengal unit. In the 2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, Dilip Ghosh won in the Kharagpur Sadar constituency of Paschim Medinipur district by defeating his nearest rival Gyan Singh Sohanpal, an Indian National Congress veteran.

Gyan Singh Sohanpal of Congress had won the Kharagpur Sadar assembly seat seven times in a row from 1982 to 2011. Dilip Ghosh himself won the Medinipur Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha General Elections by a margin of 88,952 votes and a vote share of 48.62 % by defeating Trinamool Congress heavyweight candidate and once Congress leader Manas Bhunia.

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