BJP walking on thin ice in state amid internal feud

KOLKATA: Plagued by infighting and exodus, the Bengal BJP, which is still licking its wounds after the Assembly poll defeat, is staring at bleak prospects in the state as senior leaders engage in feud off and on social media, leaving little time for the party's growth.

Churnings in the Bengal BJP had started after the recent organisational revamp, with several senior leaders and party legislators openly criticising the top brass.

"Yes, there have been some issues, few people are not happy... but we are hopeful that the problems will be sorted out very soon," BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said. Sources in the BJP said that the party, which had been fighting hard to keep its flock together after former union minister Babul Supriyo and five legislators, including its national vice-president Mukul Roy, switched over to the TMC, is facing an "inner-party rebellion" as leaders angered over being dropped from key posts are organising separate meetings.

Leading from the front is prominent Matua leader and union minister Shantanu Thakur who recently quit the WhatsApp groups of the party. Nine BJP MLAs from the community exited BJP legislators' Whatsapp group in the last one month. The group of irate leaders is apparently in touch with other incensed members across districts, trying to bring them under one platform, the sources said.

In the just-concluded KMC elections, the TMC bagged nearly 71.95 per cent of the votes polled, whereas the Left Front and the BJP garnered 11.13 per cent and 8.94 per cent respectively.