BJP'S BENGAL SLIDE

BJP national general secretary Sunil Bansal warned leaders of the party's Bengal unit of his kukhyat (infamous) side at an online meeting recently.

- Arkamoy Datta Majumdar

The party's minder for the state tore into his colleagues, shocked by their abysmal performance in the ongoing membership drive that was launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the state on October 26. The central leadership had fixed a total target of 10 million members for West Bengal; till November 7, only 450,000 persons had completed the process of becoming a BJP member, many of them being renewal of memberships. Bansal's ire was targeted at district presidents whom he threatened to remove from their posts if they continue to under-perform. "I was kukhyat in Uttar Pradesh for brutally removing people. I will do the same here if I don't see results. No sifarish (application) from any bhaisaab (here, any senior patron) in Delhi will help you," Bansal reportedly said. It is probably the first time that Bansal, known for his quiet demeanour, has criticised his Bengal colleagues so harshly. It demonstrates that in spite of the upbeat notes Bengal's BJP leaders try to strike, their organisational erosion continues, especiall