‘Some of the state BJP leaders have been doing this for years—sending misleading reports to show that they are working very hard for the party.’
New Delhi: Just three months ahead of the crucial West Bengal Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party is yet to control the infighting within the state unit, solve the major differences between the old guard and the new entrants and structure itself organizationally in at least 30-40% of the state’s polling booths.
Senior functionaries of the BJP from Bengal that this correspondent spoke to said that despite getting repeated warnings, the infighting within the party continues in several districts.
“The infighting within the party is creating multiple power centres, making it difficult for grassroots workers to work uniformly and this is continuing even though the Assembly elections are just a few months away. The central leadership is aware of this matter and has been repeatedly warning the state leadership, asking them to work as one team, but despite that, the factionalism continues. Also the new entrants and the old guard of the state unit are clashing with each other. The old guard is not willing to accept the new entrants or is unhappy with the positions being given to the new entrants. And this of course is somewhat justified since these new entrants, especially from the TMC, are the ones who have beaten up the BJP workers until last month, so to accept them as a part of the same family is becoming difficult,” a BJP functionary from West Bengal told this correspondent.
The BJP functionary also added that this has started to create confusion among the voters. “The mass joining programmes that are being organised by the party in the state every day are inducting leaders from the TMC and CPM without filtration. TMC leaders, who are accused of corruption, extortion and of using muscle power, are being inducted into the BJP and this is raising questions on the minds of the people on whether the BJP is now a modified version of the TMC. Moreover, soon after joining the BJP, these new entrants are getting plum positions in the party and this is creating wide differences, with the old guard feeling dejected that despite working for the party during its tough times and getting beaten by TMC goons, they are now having to work under those same people who had tormented them until the recent past,” the BJP functionary told this newspaper.
Last week, BJP’s central leadership once again instructed the Bengal unit to check the mass joining that the party was undertaking in the state and asked them to use a proper background check before inducting anybody into the party fold.
According to BJP sources, the central leadership has taken note of the infighting and the creation of multiple power centres. After which Union Home Minister Amit Shah appointed BJP’s National Joint Secretary (organisation) Shiv Prakash to help iron out the differences among the senior Bengal leaders.
Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J.P. Nadda also appointed a team of central ministers to overlook the election preparations in the state and to present them with a report every 15 days. This, according to BJP sources, has been done to clip the wings of some of the observers in the state, who are believed by the party leadership to be one of the primary reasons behind the creation of multiple power centres in the state.
Several BJP leaders from Bengal have also raised questions about the lack of organisational structuring of the party at the booth level in several districts and how many state leaders are presenting misleading reports from the ground to the central leadership of the BJP just to be on the good books of the central leadership.
“In many districts, the district presidents who have been appointed are not worthy of the chair they are sitting in; they have got their position by buttering up the state leadership and this in turn is hurting the party’s electoral prospects. Let me give you some examples. I know some district presidents who have got the position because they are close to some leaders. They do not have any organisational capability and because of this, BJP workers who have the support of the people and who can get votes for the party in those districts are being made to sit at home by these district presidents so that their position is not threatened,” a BJP leader from Bengal told The Sunday Guardian.
The leader also alleged that these leaders are sending misleading reports to Delhi, trying to show that the party is doing “wonders” in the state, when in reality the party is yet to build its organisation in many Assembly constituencies.
“There are several Assembly constituencies where the BJP is yet to form booth committees and we are just three months away from such a crucial election. The state leadership, instead of working on such issues, is focusing on superficial and cosmetic makeover of the party. There are at least 30-40% booths where the party still does not have booth workers, but the state leaders and district leaders are sending misleading reports to Delhi to show that each booth in Bengal has become very strong for the party. The story is that some of the state BJP leaders have been doing this for years—sending misleading reports to show that they are working very hard for the party. Elections do not happen like this,” the BJP leader said.