Kolkata, Jan. 9 -- During his recent visit to Kolkata, BJP national president JP Nadda reportedly made it clear that the state BJP would be "overseen" by central leaders and cautioned state leaders against hurting Bengali sentiments, sources said.

A party insider said that Nadda, during the party meeting in the Salt Lake office on Thursday, stated that "the vehicle would run, but the leaders from outside the state would act as engines of the vehicle".

It was also learnt that Nadda warned Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari and former state president Dilip Ghosh against any infighting. The national president of the BJP sent across a message of united fight ahead of the high-voltage 2026 Assembly elections.

"You have to act according to what the party wants. A BJP government is required in Bengal. Hence, all of you have to work together. There should not be any fight between you," Nadda told Adhikari and Ghosh, sources said.

Incidentally, a day after Nadda had sent a message to both the leaders, the followers of Ghosh and Adhikari clashed in East Midnapore's Nandigram. A quarrel broke out at Gokulnagar Gram

Panchayat over some corruption issues. Supporters of Ghosh and Adhikari shouted slogans against each other. Several BJP leaders in the district were injured. A huge contingent of police rushed the spot and brought the situation under control.

Meanwhile, a day before Nadda held a meeting to give an outline of the party's strategy for the 2026 Assembly elections in Bengal, the saffron camp on Wednesday announced a new state committee with 34 members. Around six months after BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya became the state president, the BJP finally announced the new

state committee.

Incidentally, Dilip Ghosh was recently brought to the spotlight after he met Amit Shah during his recent visit to Kolkata. After that, the current state president, Samik Bhattacharya, stated that Dilip Ghosh, who had been sidelined for months, was ready to shoulder any responsibility

assigned to him.

Speculations were being floated that Ghosh may play a crucial role in the state committee and also in the forthcoming Assembly elections in 2026. But Ghosh was missing in the newly formed

state committee.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.