Major reshuffle in Bengal BJP likely after Durga puja

By Saibal Gupta

Kolkata, Sep 23 (IANS) There are strong indications that a major reshuffle is likely to take place in the West Bengal BJP hierarchy just after the Durga puja where new and young leaders will be roped in and more representation from North Bengal will get a preference.

Young Sukanta Majumdar who has been entrusted with a huge responsibility is close to RSS and before becoming the state president had very little experience in handling political and organisational problems. He will not only have to strike a balance between the newcomers and trusted BJP soldiers but he will have to plug the exodus in the party. After the exit of Babul Supriyo, Trinamool has already claimed that more leaders are likely to follow him and there is some truth in it.

Secondly, the former professor of Gourbanga University, Majumdar has not moved out of South Dinajpur much but after becoming the state President he will have to know the topography and the social structure of all the 24 districts of West Bengal within a short time and there he will have to depend on some trusted people.

Majumdar, who owes his allegiance to RSS will certainly prefer to depend on his region and the mother organisation. Majumdar has already said that there were some problems in the election strategy that led to the defeat and indicated that he would prefer new and young leadership in the party.

Sources in the party indicated that people like Debojit Sarkar, Tushar Ghosh, Debasree Chowdhury and Debtanu Bhattacharya - all from RSS might get new responsibility in the party. Indications are also that apart from Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato - who is from North Bengal all the other four general secretaries are likely to be changed.

Not only in the state leadership but huge change in the district leadership is also in the offing. There are altogether 39 organisational districts which are headed by a district President. Sources said that after the posts of the general secretaries, the posts of branch organisations of the party youth wing, peasants' wing, women's wing and minority wings, are extremely crucial. Sources said that the defunct district president will surely be replaced. And new faces from the young generation will be roped in.

"All the changes will be as per the constitutional provisions. The new committee will be formed according to the advice of our central leadership. The final decision of the changes will be taken by the central leadership of the party only," a senior party leader said.

Sources further said that in the new and changed organisational structure, North Bengal will get special preference. In the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, BJP's performance was far better than what it did in other pockets of the state. "The new committee will be a combination of the energy of youth and experience of veterans," a senior BJP leader said.

It would be interesting to see how Majumdar negotiates with Suvendu Adhikari who has a huge political, organisational and administrative experience. Adhikari is the person who has migrated to BJP from Trinamool Congress but has been successful in creating a parallel power-centre in the party and that has been allowed by the central leadership as well. It is not only because he has defeated Mamata Banerjee but because he has a mass base that the saffron brigade wants to capitalize.

There are rumours in the party that Adhikari had initially recommended the name of Sukanta Majumdar which has been endorsed by the then state President Dilip Ghosh. "Majumdar shares a good relation with Suvendu Adhikari. One is the organisational head and the other is the legislative head. Both are young, dynamic, aggressive and are open to new ideas. If they work together the party will be benefited in the future," another senior leader said.