BJP's New Bengal President Set To Take On Trinamool

Bengal BJP appointed Samik Bhattacharya as president, signalling shift from hardline to moderate stance.

- SUPROTIM MUKHERJEE

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.