It’s time for BJP to introspect in West Bengal

The BJP in West Bengal needs to sort out the issues within. There are vocal leaders who are seeking reforms and want the party’s top brass to offer attention to the status quo in Bengal.

In 2014, the BJP in Bengal won two Lok Sabha seats — Darjeeling and Asansol. This was three years after the Trinamool came to power. The BJP’s hopes found ignition in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when it grabbed 18 out of Bengal’s 42 seats. Doors were open wide for political workers and leaders to join the BJP. Winning a majority in Vidhan Sabha two years later seemed inevitable.

The BJP did well in the 2021 Assembly elections, winning 77 seats from an earlier tally of three seats, but fell short of even reaching close to the halfway mark in a house of 294. More was expected, but results contradicted aspirations. A few politicians with affiliation to Trinamool had earlier moved to the BJP. They were seen returning to their old party.

After the 2021 Assembly elections results, internal debates divided the state unit within. Opinions are divided broadly into three sections — the party’s old guard that has had years of allegiance; leaders and supporters absorbed from other political parties, namely Trinamool (and also the Left); and a section of party supporters — with some having affiliation to the RSS - which is not in favour of absorbing people who had allegiance to other political parties earlier.

During the 2021 elections, there was also a layer of senior politicians that actively worked between the high command and regional leadership.

An instance of unrest was visible at the beginning of this year, when BJP MP Shantanu Thakur had quit a WhatsApp group of the state unit and held meetings with Sayantan Basu, Ritesh Tiwari and Jay Prakash Majumdar. Before this, some party members were unhappy with the newly-formed committees.

The party, in the civic elections held this year, failed miserably. A big shocker came in, in the recent by-elections to two seats — Asansol Lok Sabha seat and Ballygunge Assembly seat.

The BJP lost its two-time held Asansol Lok Sabha seat to the Trinamool candidate Shatrughan Sinha. While insignificant in a long political context, the party also lost its second spot to the Left in the Ballygunge seat.

Two of the party's vocal leaders - MP Saumitra Khan, and national secretary Anupam Hazra, have publicly raised concerns over the functioning of the state BJP.

Meanwhile, party president J P Nadda has asked BJP state general secretary (organisation) Amitava Chakravorty for reports to assess the party’s current status in the state.

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