Is Everything Truly Fine in West Bengal BJP? Internal Tensions Resurface Ahead of Assembly

Kolkata/New Delhi: With West Bengal Assembly elections scheduled for next year, the state BJP is showing signs of internal strife even before the campaign begins. Following the results of the last assembly elections, tensions within the party reached a peak. A few months ago, the appointment of a new state president promised to resolve these issues. However, recent statements by a BJP MP have reignited questions about the party’s internal unity.

MP Abhijit Ganguly recently gave multiple interviews to local channels, indicating clear friction within the party. Ganguly criticized the central government, claiming it has not done enough to dethrone Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress (TMC). He also remarked that leaders from the Hindi belt cannot secure votes in West Bengal and that North Indian leaders fail to understand the people and culture of the state.

These remarks have gained attention because state identity and cultural pride were major issues in the last assembly elections. TMC capitalized on this, portraying BJP as an external party and using local sentiment to its advantage. Despite significant efforts, including the induction of several TMC leaders into BJP, the party fell short of expected results in 2021.

Since then, accusations among West Bengal BJP leaders have been rampant. Some leaders who had joined from TMC began returning to their former party. In response, BJP replaced the state president — Sukanta Majumdar took over from Dilip Ghosh. Yet, tensions have only intensified, with Ghosh reportedly complaining about being excluded from several meetings.

In recent weeks, BJP has assigned Union Minister Bhupender Yadav and Tripura ex-CM Biplab Deb responsibilities for the upcoming West Bengal elections. Earlier, Rajya Sabha MP Sameek Bhattacharya was appointed state president, who in July assured that “there is no factionalism within the party” and promised a more unified BJP in the near future. However, the party’s recent internal disagreements suggest that achieving complete cohesion remains a challenge.

As West Bengal gears up for 2026 elections, all eyes will be on whether BJP can truly resolve internal conflicts and present a united front against the TMC.

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