West Bengal: TMC's Kunal Ghosh meets Derek in signs of rapprochement

Kolkata, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, who was removed as the party's state general secretary, met Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien on Saturday, in signs of rapprochement. Ghosh, accompanied by state Education Minister Bratya Basu, went to O'Brien's office in Ballygunge in the afternoon. The meeting lasted for around one and a half hours.

The TMC had on Wednesday removed him as the state general secretary and star campaigner after he shared the stage with BJP's Kolkata Uttar candidate Tapas Ray. The statement announcing the party's action was issued by O'Brien, the TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha.

Following the meeting, Basu said, "Discussions were held to strengthen the organisation and fight the BJP unitedly. There is no bad blood."


"The wound has been healed," he added.

While Ghosh stayed silent when Basu was speaking to reporters, O'Brien could not be reached for comment.

Ghosh, a former journalist who has had a chequered relationship with the TMC over the last decade, is considered close to Abhishek Banerjee, the party's national general secretary and heir apparent.

He has been vocal against TMC's Kolkata Uttar candidate Sudip Badopadhyay ever since he was re-nominated. His views were echoed by Ray who eventually gave up his assembly membership from Baranagar, and joined the BJP which gave him a ticket against Bandopadhyay.