BJP appoints Bengal election incharge after a decade

After a decade, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed an “Election In-Charge” for its Bengal unit ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

- TIKAM SHARMA

Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav will lead the party’s election operations in the state, with former Tripura Chief Minister and MP Biplab Kumar Deb as his deputy. Yadav was chosen for the role owing to his extensive experience in managing elections and his close association with Home Minister Amit Shah, who is relying on him to strengthen the BJP’s prospects and “bloom the lotus” in Bengal.

The move is significant as the BJP had not formally appointed a senior leader to this post since the 2016 Assembly polls. In 2021, despite strong prospects, the party contested without an official election in-charge. Instead, Shiv Prakash functioned as organizational observer and Kailash Vijayvargiya as political observer, with Bhupendra Yadav and Dharmendra Pradhan providing additional support.