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Infighting in district units trouble Bengal BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls
The organisational restructuring done by Bengal BJP has triggered infighting and factionalism in several districts
The organisational changes done by the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since August has triggered infighting and factionalism in several districts of the state, causing concern for the leadership, party functionaries said on Monday.
“Coming ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the infighting is troubling central leaders in Delhi as well. BJP president J P Nadda expressed concern after union minister of state for education, Subhas Sarkar, was locked up inside a party office in his own Lok Sabha constituency in Bankura district on September 12 by agitated members of a faction,” a state BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.
“Those who locked up Sarkar inside a room for around one hour are opposed to the new district office-bearers. Police had to rescue Sarkar, which is quite demeaning for a disciplined organisation like ours. Infighting has been reported from Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and North Dinajpur districts in north Bengal and North 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, Nadia, South 24 Parganas and Kolkata in the south Bengal region,” the leader added.
State BJP leaders said some party members from the south Kolkata unit recently wrote a letter to Nadda alleging that old party cadres were being sidelined.
“The dissidence, which is essentially a fallout of differences between old and new leaders, is not restricted to writing letters. Two weeks ago, members of two factions at Gaighata in North 24 Parganas were injured when a quarrel ended in fisticuffs,” a district leader said, requesting anonymity.
The infightings have surfaced at a time when the BJP is gearing up for the Lok Sabha polls.
Union home minister Amit Shah launched the Lok Sabha campaign in Bengal on April 14 at a rally in Birbhum district, where he said the BJP must win more than 35 of Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha seats.
West Bengal has 23 administrative districts, including Kolkata. In August, the BJP increased the number of its own organisational districts from 42 to 43 and selected new presidents and other office-bearers for these units in phases.
In a bid to strengthen the organisation, seven legislators have been made presidents of organisational district units. Earlier, only two MLAs had that responsibility.
In the 2021 assembly polls, the BJP bagged 77 assembly seats while the TMC won 215. The BJP’s tally has effectively come down to 69. BJP lost two seats to TMC in by-polls held after two MLAs resigned to retain their Lok Sabha seats. Five legislators joined the TMC without resigning from the BJP. The BJP MLA from north Bengal’s Dhupguri died recently. The TMC won this seat in a by-poll.
Bengal BJP’s chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya admitted that his party leaders are worried.
“These incidents are not at all desired. We feel concerned. Our leadership is keeping a close watch. Remedial measures will be taken,” Bhattacharya said.
