Kolkata: With an eye on Assembly polls, BJP West Bengal unit has thoroughly revamped its party organisation inducting new faces for the top posts to place itself as a credible opposition.
"We have revamped the organisation with an eye on 2016 assembly polls. We have chalked out a plan to achieve our goal. The people are with us and it was proved in recent law violation programmes across the state," said West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, who assumed the post last month.
Within weeks of taking over, Mr Ghosh, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak, cracked the whip and removed several office bearers and district presidents.
The change appears to have infused a new lease of energy with BJP cadres hitting the streets in various parts of the state as part of law-violation programme.
According to party insiders who spoke on condition of anonymity, Mr Ghosh has full support of RSS.
Actress-turned-politician Rupa Ganguly, who reportedly shared a strained relationship with former BJP state president Rahul Sinha, was made the chief of state BJP women's wing.
With the new leadership cracking the whip, several top leaders of state BJP like general secretary Ashim Sarkar and media convenor Ritesh Tiwari have lost their berths.
Others to go include the party's youth wing president Amitava Roy and several former bureaucrats who joined BJP before the 2014 general election did not find any berth in the state unit.
Although Mr Tiwari retained his seat as secretary, Mr Roy was made a new secretary.
The changes were made in the backdrop of growing dissent in the rank and file over outsiders, who had joined the party in Bengal after 2014 being given important positions at the expense of old-timers.
After a good show in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when it garnered about 18 per cent vote share, BJP appears to have lost its steam in Bengal politics within a year due to lack of leadership, infighting and its alleged understanding with the ruling Trinamool Congress.
"We have revamped the organisation with an eye on 2016 assembly polls. We have chalked out a plan to achieve our goal. The people are with us and it was proved in recent law violation programmes across the state," said West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, who assumed the post last month.
Within weeks of taking over, Mr Ghosh, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak, cracked the whip and removed several office bearers and district presidents.
According to party insiders who spoke on condition of anonymity, Mr Ghosh has full support of RSS.
Advertisement
With the new leadership cracking the whip, several top leaders of state BJP like general secretary Ashim Sarkar and media convenor Ritesh Tiwari have lost their berths.
Advertisement
Although Mr Tiwari retained his seat as secretary, Mr Roy was made a new secretary.
Advertisement
After a good show in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when it garnered about 18 per cent vote share, BJP appears to have lost its steam in Bengal politics within a year due to lack of leadership, infighting and its alleged understanding with the ruling Trinamool Congress.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
India vs Sri Lanka Squad 4 Takeaways: Hardik Pandya Snubbed From Leadership Group, Big Stars Ignored And More "World Has Realised India Has Roadmap To Peace, Happiness": RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Monsoon Special: 2 Ways To Make Kolkata-Style Fish Fry For A Rainy Evening The 'Fake' CrowdStrike Worker Who Crippled Windows Users Worldwide 500 Para Commandos To Hunt Pakistani Terrorists In Jammu After Attacks Over 300 Indian Students Return As Quota Row Sparks Violence In Bangladesh On Sonu Sood's Post About Kanwar Yatra Order, Kangana Ranaut's Rejoinder Salma Hayek Is A Garden Full Of Daisies Summed In A Dress Dutch Content Creator Finds Hotel Room For $1.4 In Pak, Internet Reacts Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.