Bengal BJP to Remove Non-performing Members Including Celebrities, Ex-bureaucrats

Kolkata: The Bengal BJP on Saturday has decided to remove all 'sleeping members' including few celebrities for their non-performance in strengthening the party.

The final decision was taken in the state committee meeting held on Sunday in Kolkata where party's National Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya was also present.

Those who are likely to be removed are singer Bappi Lahiri (fought Lok Sabha election on BJP ticket from Srirampore constituency), quiz master Barry O’ Brien (brother of TMC MP Derek O’ Brien) and singer Arati Mukhopadhyay. Despite repeated attempt none of them were available for their comments.

Beside celebrities, the party is also planning to sack few former bureaucrats who joined BJP in 2014.

The former bureaucrats who joined the BJP in Bengal are: R K Mohanty, R K Tripathy, Sujit Kumar Ghosh. However, it is not yet clear whom the party has decided to remove.

Speaking to News18, state BJP President Dilip Ghosh, said, "We have decided to remove all inactive members including celebrities because more than help, they are becoming liabilities to the party."

He said, "The matter was discussed in Sunday's state committee meeting and soon we will send letters to all of them. First, they (celebrities) need to know the ideology of BJP. They need to be more committed towards the party. In many occasions, they embarrassed us during public meetings through their irrelevant speeches.”

"Our party does not believe in class structure. Everybody is same here including celebrities. We have identified few celebrities in Bengal who are doing nothing for the party and they need to be removed,” he said while adding that soon he will inform the senior party leaders in Delhi about the decision.

"The present political scenario in Bengal is very crucial for us and we cannot afford to be complacent. We are working day and night to strengthen the party to make it more active. Apart from removing inactive members, we have decided to start appointing observers and convener in all the districts considering panchayat and 2019 elections. In coming months there will rallies across Bengal to increase our connectivity with the masses," he said.