MAmata Banerjee could teach del Karnegi one or two things. In a swoop, he has befriended his most bitter political rival, Dilip Ghosh, and set a cat among pigeons in his party, BJP. She can also change the title of Carnegie’s best vendor How to win friends, influence people and demolish rivals.
Tate-a-tet has triggered a tsunami at the BJP camp between the Chief Minister of West Bengal and the former president of the BJP’s state unit in the coastal city of Digha in the new Puri Jagannath temple. The party has the exchange of blows among Ghosh loyalists and who now depicted them as a Trojan horse and a large betrayal.
The central leadership of the BJP had allegedly sent the word to zip, but does not have to stop sharpness within the party’s state unit, which is already with factional tension. In the new beginning season, the wind is thick with Bhosh – they got married two weeks ago – even the Trinmool Congress (TMC) could join.
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Ghosh has said that this is not possible. But there is a lower-row, inhibiting a miraculous political recovery in the coming months, Mamta has decisively destroyed any BJP opportunity in 2026 to fight a united fight against her.
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Fish fry friendship
This is not the first time Mamata Banerjee has deployed such political exercises. Back in 2014, Mamta Banerjee caused several red faces in the left front when she invited CPI (M) leader Biman Bose to her office to fry tea and fish in the state secretariat, Nabna. Biman Bose accepted the invitation.
The “surrender” is how the meeting was labeled by something. Others called it a trap. More than one left leader warned ‘Tea pe charcha‘In 2011, by the end of left regime in the state and in the 2014 parliamentary elections, the left will already demolish leftist workers after a disappointing performance.
History seems to repeat itself.
The invitation for the inauguration of April 30 in Digha was sent to Obostian leader Dilip Ghosh and Suvendu and Adikari. The latter raised many questions about the incident. In a letter to the Chief Secretary of the state, he sought clarity as to whether the campus was being opened, a cultural center or temple, questioning how the Mamata Banerjee government could be involved in the construction of a temple. It was clear that he was not going to participate in the ceremony.
By the last minute, even Dilip Ghosh’s presence was uncertain. Apparently, Mamta Banerjee was about to leave Digha and was about to leave Kolkata back to Kolkata, to oversee operations at the site of a tragic incident in a hotel, when 14 people died when Ghosh’s arrival came. He had to double the temple premises to congratulate him and his wife.
And he did not allow the opportunity to pass. On her own Facebook page, the whole world went live for 10 minutes to see the meeting: Mamta was sitting on a couch, a nearby couch, on Ghosh and his wife, all were having a friendly chat. When the meeting continued the camera in 10 minutes, it is not known whether the fish fry was offered or sweets or tea. But the damage was done.
BJP state head, Sukanta Majumdar keeps records Straight“It was decided that none of the party would visit (DIGHA), especially on the inauguration day. Dilip Ghosh would have gone into a personal capacity, but the party does not support it.”
Suwendu Adhikar was fierce but circulate. But other leaders exposed an edge of misconduct in Ghosh, sometimes limit on individual.
Mamta Banerjee clearly put another classic political strategy in the game: divided and rules.
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last laugh
The fact is that under the leadership of Ghosh as the state president, the BJP got its best result in West Bengal in 2019 and 2021 elections: 18 MPs and 77 MLAs respectively. Saying that, Ghosh withdrew a no-hold-bound battle at the current dispensation at the top of the party to fail to match his performance, leaving it better. “Why are MLAs and MPs leaving BJP,” he asked. Many MPs and MLAs have left the BJP since the 2021 elections.
How the central leadership of the BJP deal with this crisis will be important for the party’s health in the 2026 elections in the state. For now, the last laugh is Mamta Banerjee. He has learned the rules of the game well: there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics. Even Ghosh, the BJP leader, who is in the past, attacked him the most, Kosher.
Monidipa Banerjee is a senior journalist based in Kolkata. She tweets @monideepa62. Views are personal.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)