Bengal BJP appointed Samik Bhattacharya as president, signalling shift from hardline to moderate stance.
Kolkata: On Thursday afternoon, by the time BJP Central Observer Ravi Shankar Prasad stood up to announce the new Bengal BJP president’s name, the party’s rank and file already knew a course correction was underway. From now on, the strident anti-Muslim stance espoused by leaders like Sukanta Majumdar and Suvendu Adhikari would be replaced by the moderation of the new incumbent – Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya – known for his eloquence.
The selection — though conducted through the democratic process of filing nominations and having provisions for voting — remained a one-horse race, with Bhattacharya the sole candidate to file nomination papers. His two proposers were outgoing chief Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
For the faction-ridden state BJP, this was a clear message: to succeed in the 2026 Assembly elections, the party must present a united front against the well-entrenched, well-oiled, resource-rich, and unscrupulous Trinamool Congress.
The BJP central leadership’s preferences became clear when news broke of Bhattacharya’s sudden official visit to BJP national president J.P. Nadda’s residence in Delhi on Monday.
Bhattacharya met Nadda alongside senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was overseeing the Bengal presidential election process, even amid speculation that Sukanta Majumdar was eyeing a second term while Suvendu Adhikari was lobbying for MLA Agnimitra Paul as state president. The name of BJP MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato was also in circulation.
However, the BJP has placed its bet on the soft-spoken RSS loyalist and party veteran to steer its troubled state unit out of prolonged internal discord, grassroots disarray, and a “cultural disconnect” with the Bengali electorate.
The TMC has long accused the BJP of promoting a ‘Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan’ model, out of sync with Bengal’s cultural ethos.
Since its 77-seat performance in the 2021 polls, BJP’s support has steadily eroded. The 2023 rural elections and recent bypolls highlighted the party’s organisational decay, especially in rural and tribal belts.
“There’s an urgent need to activate the booth-level structure. Workers feel disillusioned. Leaders need to spend time in districts to reconnect with cadres,” said a senior BJP leader.
Bhattacharya, 61, previously served as MLA from Basirhat Dakshin and was the official state spokesperson.
As Bhattacharya, a quintessential Bengali ‘bhadralok,’ takes charge, a key challenge will be whether the state BJP under his leadership pursues a moderate, inclusive Hindutva line or continues the combative, hardline posture championed by leaders like Adhikari.
An office bearer of the state unit said, “Bhattacharya has remained largely above intra-party groups, is articulate, media-savvy, and has no visible opposition within the organisation.”
Another leader added, “With internal rifts between powerful lobbies peaking, someone like Samik could be a unifying force.”
However, political observers remain divided on Bhattacharya’s prospects: some see him as a unifying leader acceptable across factions, while others question his ability to mobilise mass support.
In a marathon speech soon after his appointment, Bhattacharya made it clear that the fight with the TMC would be long and hard.
He lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee government, saying, “The BJP is set to form the government in the state in 2026. People voted out the dominant Left Front government through the ballot. I would like to remind Mamata Banerjee that voters speak the last word in a democracy.”
“There is no force in the world that can ensure Mamata Banerjee a fourth term in power. The Trinamool Congress is certainly losing the upcoming Assembly elections,” the new BJP state chief thundered.
He also appealed to the Left and Congress not to divide opposition votes and help the TMC.
“I would appeal to the Left and Congress to not allow TMC to come to power through backdoors by dividing opposition votes.”
Bhattacharya also sent a message to bridge the gap between the old guard and new entrants in the party.
