Samik Takes Over as BJP Bengal President, Rumblings Remain

In a unanimous decision reached on Wednesday, BJP's West Bengal unit appointed Rajya Sabha MP and party's chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya as its new state president.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

The appointment was made officially today in the presence of former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, central minister Dr Sukanta Majumdar, and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, among other senior leaders.

Bhattacharya's elevation comes at a crucial juncture for the saffron party in Bengal, which is seeking to recover ground lost in the 2021 Assembly election and rebuild its organisational muscle ahead of the 2026 state polls. Yet, beneath the celebratory surface, murmurs of factional discontent have already begun to simmer. While Adhikari was quick to hail the new appointment, posting a lengthy congratulatory note on social media expressing "immense joy" and affirming confidence in Bhattacharya's "dynamic leadership," former state president and BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh struck a markedly different tone — and pose.