Kolkata, Sep 20 : In a major development, Lok Sabha MP Sukanat Majumadar has been named the new President of Bengal BJP, replacing Dilip Ghosh who has been made the national Vice President of the party.
The development comes a couple of days after Babul Supriyo, who has recently joined the Trinamool Congress from the BJP, alleged that Ghosh was responsible for the debacle of the party in the Assembly polls held earlier this year.
Majumdar, an MP from South Dinajpur, has been entrusted with one of the most challenging responsibilities because of his efforts to revive the party’s position in North Bengal.
Insiders in the party believe that Majumdar, who completed his PhD in Botany from the North Bengal University, can become the face of the party in the state for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in 2024.
“The condition of the party is not very good after the humiliating defeat in the Assembly polls.Many trusted people are leaving the party and it will be challenging for him to make a positive impression of the BJP among the people,” a senior BJP leader said.
Ghosh who had already completed his second term as the state unit chief, but he seems to have lost acceptability among the party rank and file.
Former Union minister Supriyo has openly blamed Ghosh for the party’s poor show in the Assembly polls.
Speaking at a press conference, Supriyo said, “His comments during the poll campaign were not in sync with the culture of Vidyasagar, Rabindranath Tagore or Satyajit Ray.They were incongruous with the ethos of Bengalis.They contributed to the decline of the party in the Bengali psyche.”
Singer-turned-politician Supriyo is among the leaders who recently left the BJP to join the Trinamool.
He also said that the “indiscriminate” induction of people into the the BJP ahead of the Bengal elections may have affected the party’s performance in the polls.
“It would be interesting to see how Majumdar handles the open resentment in the party and negotiates a divide between the ‘Old BJP’ and the ‘New BJP’,” a senior leader said
.
