Senior BJP leaders today joined a crucial meeting at the party’s current headquarters in Salt Lake to discuss organizational matters following the upcoming parliament polls. However, MP Locket Chatterjee’s absence in the meeting raised several questions.
In a significant move, Sunil Bansal, the central leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who has been actively involved in Bengal politics, joined the meeting today. Besides overseeing responsibilities in Odisha and Telangana, he has been notably absent recently in Bengal politics following the political landscape of Telangana due to the ongoing Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, overseeing the developments in Bengal is the special observer, Mangal Pandey, who was recently announced as the chief ministerial candidate for Madhya Pradesh. The mayor of Ranchi, Asha Lakra arrived today to join the meeting. However, Lakra was appointed as the deputy observer in Bengal. Adding to the BJP’s leadership in Kolkata is the presence of Amit Malviya, another deputy observer and national IT cell in-charge. Despite the ongoing parliamentary session, Sukanta Majumdar, MP from Balurghat and state president, joined the meeting.
Responding to queries about Locket’s absence, the MP in a virtual address clarified that her presence was not required as her priorities lie at parliamentary sessions. This has sparked debates within the BJP about Locket’s commitment on state affairs.
However, Locket’s absence has prompted discussions within the party, with some leaders labelling it as a strategic move. According to one BJP leader, Locket has ambitions beyond state leadership, possibly eyeing a national role. This speculation has led to questions about her engagement in state-level meetings.
The state BJP’s internal discussions have intensified, given Locket’s non-participation in several crucial meetings. In the midst of these developments, Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, another state general secretary from Purulia has also joined the meeting in Kolkata.
While Locket’s absence raises eyebrows, Jyotirmoy’s entry is seen as an active interest in national politics. Locket’s recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday has further fuelled speculations.