JOIN USWest Bengal BJP unhappy with Central leadership’s intervention with political programs
Discontent against the Central leadership is growing in the Bengal BJP.
According to sources, the state BJP is unhappy with the tendency of the Central leaders to impose political programs on them, especially yatras which do not go with the political culture of Bengal.
State BJP sources said the Central leadership wanted to take out Ashirvad Yatra in Bengal to congratulate the four new Union Ministers from the State but with objection from the state unit changed the yatra's objective to paying homage to party workers who were killed in post-poll violence.
They further revealed that the Central leadership wanted to take out the Ashirvad Yatra across the state from August 16 to August 19. However, the state BJP leadership “vehemently objected” to the idea stating that the “political programs like yatras may be popular in the Hindi belt, but do not go with the political culture of Bengal and will not appeal to the people,” state BJP sources said.
Pointing out that such yatras did not yield any significant results for the party in the West Bengal Assembly elections, the state BJP leadership insisted that it be renamed as Sahid Samman Yatra with the aim of paying homage to party workers allegedly killed in post-poll violence.
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“Taking out such yatras at this time may result into further atrocities on grassroots level BJP workers who were hounded by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) cadres after the Assembly election results were declared,” a senior state BJP leader said.
He also said that at a time when BJP workers who fled from home due to post-poll violence were starting to return home, such a program may worsen the situation.
"Charitable work by booth level BJP workers is the need of the hour to strengthen our organization. But the Central BJP leadership wants them to take part in yatras. If the program does not succeed then it will further dampen the spirit of workers,” they said.
BJP insiders said that following the party’s defeat in the Assembly elections, the state unit felt that “excessive intervention” by the Central leadership hampered the party’s advance in Bengal.