In a surprising statement, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh has said if any Bengali has a chance to become country's Prime Minister then current Chief Minister of the State and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is fit for the role.

Extending his greeting to Mamata on her 64th birthday on Saturday, Ghosh said, "If a Bengali stands a chance to become the Prime Minister of the country then Mamata deserves it. She represents West Bengal and she is definitely a good Prime Minister candidate."

When asked to mention a name from his own party who had the best chance to be the Prime Minister, Ghosh asserted that only "Mamata Banerjee is ahead in the race right now." However, he further said that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, Jyoti Basu could not become the prime minister but Mamata can.

Interestingly, Ghosh had recently slammed Mamata for halting BJP's yatra in West Bengal.