Bengal BJP in two minds over fielding celebrities

The BJP leadership in West Bengal is in two minds on fielding celebrity candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. While state BJP president Dilip Ghosh is not too keen on fielding celebrity candidates a section of state BJP leaders want to field such candidates. Recently two yesteryear’s Bengali film stars Biswajit Chatterjee and Mousumi Chakraborty joined BJP in Delhi in presence of BJP leader Mukul Roy and party observer in Bengal Kailash Vijayvargiya.

“There is a lot of difference between someone joining BJP and being a BJP candidate. Just because we have inducted them-Biswajit,Mausumi- in our party that does not necessarily mean we will make them candidates.” Ghosh told DH.

Ghosh made it clear that he does not have much interest in celebrity candidates and is more interested in fielding candidates who have a sound political background.

“I am not too keen on fielding celebrity candidates. This time it will be a political fight and candidates with political backgrounds are more likely to succeed,” said Ghosh.

However, BJP sources revealed that BJP leaders like Roy and Vijayvargiya are keen on celebrity candidates. According to sources they are of the opinion that without celebrity candidates and new faces it will be extremely difficult to achieve the target of 23 seats in Bengal that was set by party president Amit Shah.

“The state leadership has contacted several film stars and celebrities but most of them are not sure of contesting the Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket,” said a senior state BJP leader.

BJP sources further revealed that the state leadership is not too keen on experimenting with new candidates in seats where the party has high chances of success.

“The state leadership wants experienced party leaders to contest from these seats,” the BJP leader said.