Ganesh Puja in Saltlake BB Block
The 12-year-old puja was inaugurated by state BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya on Saturday evening, while chief minister Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to visit the puja on Tuesday. Pradyumna Sinha, president of the puja organising committee, Ward 30 Residents Welfare Association, said they had scaled down the grandeur by avoiding subscriptions from residents and relying solely on contributions from donations and a fair.
However, he said the puja would retain its spirit. He has promised he will be present,” said Sinha. But we have sent invites to several state ministers as well,” said Raja Chakraborty, a senior functionary of the puja committee.
Kolkata: Three of Salt Lake’s prominent Ganesh Pujas are sporting a distinctly different political hue this year, with saffron flags and BJP functionaries replacing the Trinamool Congress imprint that had long been associated with their organisers. At Baisakhi, the Ganesh Puja started by Mondal is being managed this year by senior BJP functionaries. “Our CM is very closely associated with the puja. He inaugurated it as a minister during the TMC govt when Anita Mondal had started the puja. At Salt Lake’s BF Block, the puja organised by Maitri Sangha, which was started by Dutta, has also changed hands. Dutta, currently in prison, had been at the helm of the puja and was known to make it a grand affair by roping in actors and singers from Bollywood. This year, the organising committee has been reshuffled, with BJP functionaries close to the local MLA and state health minister Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay now holding the command. “Our MLA is out of the city. Else, he would have definitely come for the inauguration.
Singer Poushali Banerjee will be here with her folk songs during the inauguration and the following day, we will have a performance by a team of dhamsa artists from West Midnapore,” said another organiser, Pratik Pareek. “Now the concept has changed. This is a puja for the people of the locality now. He added that the BMC commissioner and Bidhannagar Police commissioner would also be felicitated at the puja.