The Bharatiya Janata Party’s West Bengal “Chintan Shibir” (brainstorming/strategy camp) kicked off on Monday at Vedic Village Resort near Kolkata. But the nonappearance of three central ministers from the state set tongues wagging.
Nisith Pramanik, John Barla, and Shantanu Thakur were conspicuous by their absence.
Apart from them, party MPs Raju Bista from Darjeeling and SS Ahluwalia from Bardhaman-Durgapur were nowhere to be seen.
The camp assumes importance due to the presence of Sunil Bansal who this month was appointed national general secretary of the BJP and incharge of West Bengal, Telangana, and Odisha. This was his first meeting with Team Bengal.
Insiders said that the Chintan Shibir was compulsory for party leaders and that is why the absence of some has raised questions.
However, Pramanik who just returned to the state said, “I was in Delhi for National Sports Day, and then you all know I have my Ganesh Puja. That’s why I could not go. I had already informed the party.”
News18 also spoke to Raju Bista. “I am not well, that’s why I have not gone. I have informed the party,” he said.
Shantanu Thakur is out of Bengal for ministerial work, insiders said.
His absence created a buzz as a few months ago he had been seen in a rebel camp of Bengal BJP.
The state’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) took a dig at its rival, saying this was a sign that those left in the BJP Bengal unit were also ready to leave.
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