A rejig in the BJP’s unit in West Bengal on Monday has translated into freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s grandnephew being excluded from the new committee of key leaders. Chandra Kumar Bose was the Vice President in the Bengal BJP unit.
The exact reason is not yet known. However, Bose has been vocal in the last one year against policies of the BJP led Central government like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizenship (NRC). Bose had said that the minority community should be included in the NRC list and also suggested that an ‘atmosphere of fear’ is being created by the ruling and opposition party. This, he had said should not take place.
With Dilip Ghosh at the helm of affairs as BJP state President, other leaders who have made the cut in the list of 12 Vice Presidents are Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh, Bankura MP Dr. Subhas Sarkar, Bharati Ghosh and Joyprakash Majumdar.
Hoogly MP Locket Chatterjee is one of the four general secretaries while fashion designer Agnimitra Paul is now in charge of the BJP mahila morcha.
Bishnupur MP Soumitra Khan has been made in charge of the Yuva Morcha. Both Khan and Singh were part of Trinamool Congress (TMC) before switching to BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Malda (North) MP Khagen Murmu is in charge of the ST (scheduled tribe) Morcha.
The list consists of a considerable number of MPs who won in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the BJP camp.
“Old and new BJP leaders who are eager to take the party forward have been added to the committee formed. This list has been made in consultation with the Central (BJP) unit,” said BJP State President Dilip Ghosh.
On being asked why those from other parties who switched camps to BJP in recent times have been given importance, Ghosh replied saying that it is people who have given them importance.
“Importance is given because people have given them importance. Some have been elected as MPs and MLAs two or three times…they have been given a chance. Other karyakartas too will be given a chance when the time comes. It has been understood that keeping them (those new to BJP) in the front will make the BJP successful, hence they have been chosen,” added Ghosh.
The BJP appears to be gearing up for the 2021 Assembly elections, to reach out to the grassroots use the new identities to garner voters’ support. The BJP which lacks a strong face to match the might of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is doing its best to win voter’s confidence.
