<p>Kolkata: Continuing on his agenda to take stock of the BJP West Bengal unit's preparedness for the assembly polls scheduled early next year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday held a meeting with the party's public representatives, past and present, at a hotel in Salt Lake here.</p>.<p>The party's former state president, Dilip Ghosh, who has largely stayed away from the forefront of BJP's activities in the state over the past several months, was also invited to the closed-door meeting attended by the party's MPs, MLAs, civic body councillors and organisational portfolio holders.</p>.<p>The current state president of the party, Samik Bhattacharya, and the state's leader of opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, were also among the leaders present.</p>.<p>Although it wasn't immediately known what transpired in the meeting, a senior party leader said that the invitees are likely to receive tickets for the upcoming elections, and Shah, considered BJP's chief poll strategist, wanted to listen to these leaders about the campaign roadmap and share his thoughts with them.</p>.<p>About inviting Dilip Ghosh, who was perceived to have been pushed to the party's "back bench" after visuals of him meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the inauguration of the Jagannath Temple complex in Digha earlier this year were splashed across TV screens, the leader said the so-called "cooling off" period must now be over for the leader and he is likely to play a crucial role for the party in the months ahead.</p>.<p>Ghosh, considered to be the most successful state president of BJP under whose leadership the party rose from three seats in the state assembly to over 70 and snatched 18 parliamentary seats in 2019, is also perceived to have a "firebrand" presence, whose aggressive campaign style the party plans to use during its electioneering process.</p>.<p>"Everyone in the party is energised. We will win the 2026 polls and bring about true change in this state," Adhikari told reporters before walking into the meeting.</p>.<p>On Tuesday, Shah set the tone for the high-stakes assembly polls, and launched a broadside against Mamata Banerjee, accusing her government of "dangerously altering" the state's demography by abetting the infiltration of Bangladeshis for electoral gains and indulging in widespread corruption.</p>.<p>Setting the stage for the BJP's 2026 poll narrative, Shah also declared that the issue of infiltration would acquire the party's campaign centre stage.</p>.<p>Following the party representatives' meet, Shah is scheduled to address a party workers' conference at a city auditorium and visit the Thantania Kali Temple in central Kolkata before departing for Delhi. </p>
<p>Kolkata: Continuing on his agenda to take stock of the BJP West Bengal unit's preparedness for the assembly polls scheduled early next year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday held a meeting with the party's public representatives, past and present, at a hotel in Salt Lake here.</p>.<p>The party's former state president, Dilip Ghosh, who has largely stayed away from the forefront of BJP's activities in the state over the past several months, was also invited to the closed-door meeting attended by the party's MPs, MLAs, civic body councillors and organisational portfolio holders.</p>.<p>The current state president of the party, Samik Bhattacharya, and the state's leader of opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, were also among the leaders present.</p>.<p>Although it wasn't immediately known what transpired in the meeting, a senior party leader said that the invitees are likely to receive tickets for the upcoming elections, and Shah, considered BJP's chief poll strategist, wanted to listen to these leaders about the campaign roadmap and share his thoughts with them.</p>.<p>About inviting Dilip Ghosh, who was perceived to have been pushed to the party's "back bench" after visuals of him meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the inauguration of the Jagannath Temple complex in Digha earlier this year were splashed across TV screens, the leader said the so-called "cooling off" period must now be over for the leader and he is likely to play a crucial role for the party in the months ahead.</p>.<p>Ghosh, considered to be the most successful state president of BJP under whose leadership the party rose from three seats in the state assembly to over 70 and snatched 18 parliamentary seats in 2019, is also perceived to have a "firebrand" presence, whose aggressive campaign style the party plans to use during its electioneering process.</p>.<p>"Everyone in the party is energised. We will win the 2026 polls and bring about true change in this state," Adhikari told reporters before walking into the meeting.</p>.<p>On Tuesday, Shah set the tone for the high-stakes assembly polls, and launched a broadside against Mamata Banerjee, accusing her government of "dangerously altering" the state's demography by abetting the infiltration of Bangladeshis for electoral gains and indulging in widespread corruption.</p>.<p>Setting the stage for the BJP's 2026 poll narrative, Shah also declared that the issue of infiltration would acquire the party's campaign centre stage.</p>.<p>Following the party representatives' meet, Shah is scheduled to address a party workers' conference at a city auditorium and visit the Thantania Kali Temple in central Kolkata before departing for Delhi. </p>