Bankura/Kolkata: Four BJP MLAs from Bankura pulled out of the party’s WhatsApp group a day after four from North 24 Parganas and Nadia took the same route, indicating the growing dissent within the Bengal BJP, an issue that raised concern in the party meeting presided over by national general secretary (organization) B L Santosh on the National Library premises on Monday.
Some among the four Bankura MLAs — Niladrisekhar Dana from Bankura, Nirmal Dhara from Indus, Amarnath Sakha from Onda and Dibakar Gharami from Sonamukhi — are also contemplating to stay away from BJP legislative party meetings.
All four quit the WhatsApp group in protest against the newly appointed district organization presidents such as Sunilrudra Mandal of Bankura and Billeswar Singh of Bishnupur.
BJP’s Bishnupur MP Saumitra Khan, however, wasn’t part of the dissent. “We are planning a district-wise stir against Trinamool and will launch a massive movement soon,” said Khan, who is also a new state BJP vice-president.
Dana told media not to read much into the development. “Our party is growing and facing problems of growth. We will talk about it in the party forum,” he said.
But the dissent became the talk of the town in Bankura as BJP had won a majority in the district in the 2021 assembly polls. Of the 12 assembly seats in Bankura, 8 went to BJP and the rest to Trinamool. The party- wise tally changed after BJP MLA Tanmoy Ghosh joined Trinamool.
In Monday’s BJP meeting, Santosh gave a piece of his mind to state office-bearers. He rolled out a list of dos and don’ts for BJP organizers. The party leadership wanted the bickering to stop and asked Bengal unit leaders to maintain “party protocol” so that the message went down the ranks.
Aware of BJP’s weak organization in Kolkata, party leaders wanted the state organizers to improve civic poll results in the districts. Santosh focused on strengthening the organization at the grassroots and on building mandals (block-level organization) with emphasis on women’s representation.

 

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