Resentment grows in state BJP over ‘excessive’ intervention of Central leaders

Kolkata: At a time when the simmering factional tension within the Bengal BJP unit spills into the open through repeated incidents, there has been a growing resentment among a section within the saffron camp regarding the “excessive” intervention of Central leadership ahead of 2026 Assembly elections.

A section of state BJP leaders has raised questions as to how far will the monitoring of outside leaders fetch success to the state BJP. With an eye on the 2026 Assembly poll, the party leaders from outside the state may steer the party’s strategy. Outside leaders will monitor the party’s campaigns at various levels as the election draws near. A similar discontent had brewed up within the state BJP after the electoral debacle in 2021 Assembly elections.

Many leaders in the state BJP unit have raised questions as to whether the outside leaders will be able to understand the sentiments of people in Bengal. According to sources, a section within the state BJP is unhappy with the tendency of the Central leaders to impose political programs on them. It was also alleged that the Central leaders were taking crucial decisions relating to the organisation in Bengal without even informing the state leaders.

Sources said that a Central BJP leader who is originally from Rajasthan was chalking up electoral strategy for the Bengal BJP only because he enjoys the confidence of the top Delhi leaders. As a result, the state party leaders were depending on the Central leaders. The Central BJP leadership already appointed Bhupendra Yadav as election in-charge for the 2026 Bengal Assembly polls and former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb as his deputy. This had also triggered resentment among a section with the Bengal BJP leaders.

BJP MP and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Ganguly, during a television interview recently had criticised the hiring of his party leaders from the Hindi belt for campaigns in Bengal. His statement had created a major embarrassment for the saffron party.

Trinamool Congress leaders on repeated occasions alleged that BJP leaders from other states come here only during elections. The ruling party in Bengal had also referred to the Prime Minister and Home Minister as “migratory birds” as they were only seen during the election time, alleged Trinamool Congress.

A series of incidents of internal conflicts surfaced within the state BJP in recent times, including the incident where a former district BJP president in Diamond Harbour assaulted his own party worker and poured hot tea on him. Trinamool Congress, however, claimed that the saffron camp was “collapsing from within”.