BJP appoints Samik new Bengal president, rumblings remain
The Statesman | 4 July 2025
In a unanimous decision reached on Wednesday, BJP’s West Bengal unit appointed Rajya Sabha MP and party’s chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya as its new state president. The appointment was made officially today in the presence of former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, central minister Dr Sukanta Majumdar, and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, among other senior leaders.
Bhattacharya’s elevation comes at a crucial juncture for the saffron party in Bengal, which is seeking to recover ground lost in the 2021 Assembly election and rebuild its organisational muscle ahead of the 2026 state polls. Yet, beneath the celebratory surface, murmurs of factional discontent have already begun to simmer. While Adhikari was quick to hail the new appointment, posting a lengthy congratulatory note on social media expressing “immense joy” and affirming confidence in Bhattacharya’s “dynamic leadership,” former state president and BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh struck a markedly different tone — and pose.
On Thursday morning, Ghosh was seen on a morning walk through Durgapur Steel Township, accompanied by BJYM workers. But what caught public and political attention was a curious accessory: a handheld ‘dugdugi’ (tambourine), typically used by snake-charmers. Clad in casuals and sipping tea at a roadside stall, Ghosh responded to queries about the gesture with a grin. “This is Shravan month — Lord Shiva carries a dugdugi. We are using it to awaken the masses, to call them to fight,” he said. When pressed about Bhattacharya’s appointment, Ghosh diplomatically responded: “Samikbabu is a seasoned man, a good speaker, logical and informed. The party has chosen him — we all follow what the party decides.” But the nonchalance wasn’t missed.
The ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC) was swift to seize on the optics. Without naming Ghosh directly, a senior TMC functionary said the former state chief’s behaviour reflects the BJP’s “internal crisis.” “The dugdugi is symbolic — it’s a subtle protest, a sarcastic commentary on the state of affairs within BJP. The groupism is clearly visible now,” said the leader.
Political observers too are parsing Ghosh’s act as a quiet, performative dissent. With Suvendu Adhikari perceived to be close to the central leadership and having his own sphere of influence within the state unit, Bhattacharya’s elevation — despite being a relatively less controversial figure — may have upset the internal equilibrium. Unlike his immediate predecessors, Samik Bhattacharya represents a softer, more articulate face of the party. His background in debate, media handling, and intellectual engagement may help the BJP reach out to Bengal’s urban and educated classes — a demographic that remains wary of hard-line posturing. His critics, however, point to his limited mass base.
Though he was elected as MLA from Basirhat South in a 2014 bypolls, he lost the seat in 2016 and again failed to win in 2021. As Bhattacharya assumes the mantle, his primary challenge will be to bring cohesion to a fractured unit while simultaneously expanding the party’s appeal across rural and semi-urban Bengal. How he balances loyalty from the old guard with expectations from a younger, impatient cadre remains to be seen.