Two women leaders, Agnimitra Paul and Locket Chatterjee, are being considered for BJP’s Bengal president post.
NEW DELHI: The announcement of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s new national president may still be pending, but the party has shifted its immediate focus to the upcoming state elections. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already begun crafting election
Following this, his attention is expected to turn towards West Bengal, another key state set for elections alongside Tamil Nadu. Although Assam and Puducherry will also go to the polls next year, the BJP perceives no major threat in these regions. The primary focus remains on Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, where the party aims to make significant electoral gains.
In the last West Bengal assembly elections, BJP posed a formidable challenge to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), securing 70 seats and becoming the main opposition party. This time, the BJP is formulating an aggressive strategy with the aim of surpassing the majority mark. A crucial part of this plan is to project a strong, non-TMC face in the state—potentially a woman leader—to counter Mamata Banerjee’s influence and present a credible alternative to the electorate.
Amit Shah has begun implementing his strategy ahead of the upcoming state elections, starting with Tamil Nadu. He first removed the prominent and outspoken state president K. Annamalai from the race for state leadership. He initiated talks with AIADMK, and just before finalizing discussions with AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami, he appointed K. Annamalai’s close aide, Nagendran, as the new state BJP president. Soon after, Shah officially announced the alliance between BJP and AIADMK.
The alliance is set to directly challenge the DMK-Congress coalition in the upcoming elections, creating a competitive political landscape. Interestingly, the BJP has delayed announcing new state presidents in several key states, possibly to maintain full focus on the states going to polls. This strategic delay also indicates that the party is carefully planning leadership roles that will directly impact state elections from 2026 to 2028, most of which will be fought under newly appointed leaderships.
Several names are being considered for the party’s Bengal president post. BJP does not intend to form any alliance in Bengal but is looking to project a strong, decisive face. Two women leaders—Agnimitra Paul and Locket Chatterjee—are being considered. Both maintain good relations with the Legislative Party leader Suvendu Adhikari.
The final decision is likely to be made in consultation with Adhikari. Meanwhile, state presidents have already been appointed in Bihar and Assam. Bihar is set to go to polls this year. Assam remains stable with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as the party’s main face.
Following West Bengal, BJP will begin focusing on other key states heading to elections in 2027, including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Karnataka.