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Samik Bhattacharya elected new Bengal BJP president, vows to end TMC's 'misrule'

Kolkata, Jul 2 (PTI) Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya was on Wednesday officially named the new president of the West Bengal BJP, with the party tasking him to lead its charge in the 2026 assembly elections, a battle he described as a fight to save the state's culture and pluralism from what he termed the "corrupt misrule" of the TMC. A dyed-in-the-wool party loyalist and articulate communicator with deep roots in the RSS, Bhattacharya's election as the West Bengal BJP president signals the central leadership's calibrated move to steer the state unit through internal churn and retool it into a winning machine ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. Bhattacharya was elected unopposed, with no other candidate filing a nomination for the post by the stipulated deadline on Wednesday afternoon. The formal announcement came during a felicitation ceremony here, in the presence of senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who handed him over the certificate of election to Bhattacharya. He takes charge of the state BJP at a crucial time, with the assembly elections less than a year away and the saffron camp seeking to revive its organisational strength after facing setbacks in the post-2021 period. "In Bengal, we started from a position where we were considered non-existent. But we never compromised on our ideology. Today, the people of this state have given us a position. The defeat of the TMC is imminent," Bhattacharya said in his first address to party workers after taking over. He asserted that the people of the state have made up their minds to end what he called the "misrule of this corrupt TMC government" in the upcoming Assembly polls. Calling the 2026 elections a "fight for the existence of the culture, pluralism and heritage of Bengal," Bhattacharya alleged these values are facing a threat under the TMC's rule. "The BJP in Bengal is not against minorities but against the politics of violence and communalism," he said. Bhattacharya sent out a strong message of communal harmony, underlining that the BJP's fight in Bengal was not directed at any community. "The BJP's fight is not against the minorities of this state. Those young boys in minority households who are now roaming around with stones, we want to snatch away those stones and hand them books. We want to take away their swords and give them pens instead. We envision a Bengal where a Durga Puja procession and a Muharram procession walk side by side without any conflict. Bengal must be saved," the BJP leader said, drawing applause from the gathering. While he did attack the ruling party on corruption in recruitment, the condition of migrant workers, and hurdles to central welfare schemes -- issues that were expected to be raised -- his tone on communal matters marked a contrast from the aggressive stance often adopted by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. He also touched upon internal differences within the BJP, particularly the growing generational divide between old-timers and new entrants. "The old-timers in the party must remember that without newcomers, the party can't grow. We can't order people from Kumartuli to create cadres for us. At the same time, the newcomers must never forget that the old guard held the flag high even when defeat was inevitable. There is no such thing as old or new in the BJP. The people's court is the biggest test. This time, BJP won't just cross 200 seats, we will ensure TMC is pushed to the other side entirely," he said. Both Adhikari and outgoing state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar pledged to work unitedly with Bhattacharya. "This is a relay race, where the race continues but the baton changes hands. I had taken over from Dilip Ghosh, and today Samik-da is taking over from me. We secured 38 per cent vote share, and I am confident that under his leadership, we will improve on it and oust the TMC government," Majumdar said. However, that note of unity was somewhat marred by what appeared to be a subtle undercurrent. In his speech, Majumdar repeatedly mentioned former state BJP president Dilip Ghosh, a name that Suvendu Adhikari pointedly avoided. Ghosh, considered by many as the party's most successful Bengal president to date, was conspicuously absent from the felicitation ceremony. Sources confirmed that Ghosh was not invited to the event, a snub that laid bare the widening gap between him and the current state leadership. Ghosh has also distanced himself from the entire state presidential election process. On Wednesday, when nomination and scrutiny were held at the BJP office, senior leaders including Majumdar were present, but Ghosh was not. Political observers noted that Bhattacharya's key challenges will include bridging internal rifts, strengthening organisational and legislative coordination, and expanding the BJP's base across the state. The party had won 77 seats in the 2021 Assembly elections but the tally has since dropped to 65, with 12 seats lost via by-polls and defections to the ruling TMC. Bhattacharya will also have to counter the TMC's persistent narrative that paints the BJP as "anti-Bengali" and an "outsider party" -- an image that has taken root among some sections of the electorate. Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh congratulated Bhattacharya but dismissed any electoral threat from the BJP. "But his elevation as state president won't change the fortunes of the BJP, which is southwards. The BJP will be defeated again in the assembly polls and TMC will return to power for the fourth consecutive time with three-fourth majority," he said. PTI PNT NN

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