"Cha Chakrey Dilip Da" is being viewed in political circles as BJP's answer to Trinamool's "Didi ke Bolo"
West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh had planned a tea party on Tuesday at Krishnanagar, 120 km from Kolkata, to launch his mass contact campaign, "Cha Chakrey Dilip Da". But a state government agency informed the BJP just a day before that its booking of the venue for the event has been cancelled.
The executive officer of the Krishnanagar Municipality in Nadia district said in a letter on Monday that that "You are hereby informed that due to urgent Govt meeting, it is not possible to provide the Dwijendra Manch on 3/3/19 which was booked from your end. Hence the booking has been cancelled."
A state government agency informed the BJP just a day before that its booking of the venue for the event has been cancelled.
The letter is address to one Raju Shek of Ghurni, Majid Lane, Krishnanagar.
The BJP shared the municipality's letter and said the "Cha Chakra" will be held as scheduled at Krishnanagar at 12:30 pm.
"Exact Location to be updated in due course," a BJP official posted on the party media WhatsApp group.
"Cha Chakrey Dilip Da" is being viewed in political circles as BJP's answer to Trinamool's "Didi ke Bolo". It's a mass contact programme where Dilip Ghosh will attend tea parties hosted by local people at different locations. The promo for the campaign paints Dilip Ghosh as a friendly neighbourhood 'dada' who will listen to people's problems at these interactions and try and address them.
The promo uses a Rabindrasangeet as its background music and Bengali motifs to, perhaps, counter the criticism that BJP is not really a "Bengali" party but a north Indian one. Analysts say the promo also projects Dilip Ghosh as BJP's chief minister candidate for 2021.
Earlier on Monday, speaking about the attack on BJP's Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh, Dilip Ghosh said, "The police is torturing BJP leaders so badly, I can't even stop for a cup of tea by the roadside without being attacked." On Saturday, Mr Ghosh, who is also BJP MP from Kharajpur, was heckled when he went for an informal 'Cha Chakra' or tea party at Lake Town in Kolkata city at 7 in the morning.
Trinamool supporters had shouted "go back" slogans at Mr Ghosh while BJP supporters shouted "Trinamool hatao, desh bachao". The police had to step in to avert a physical fight.
On Sunday, Mr Ghosh had held a 'Cha Chakra' at Jadavpur. That passed off without incident but Krishnanagar could see a storm over a cup of tea.