News Analysis India

Tag: West Bengal BJP

  • Union Cabinet reshuffle: Strategy evident in selection of four ministers from West Bengal

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA:  The Centre’s decision of axing two Ministers for State from West Bengal and drafting fresh four Bengal BJP MPs in the Union Cabinet appears to be well-designed, with an eye on balancing the caste and regional equations in the state.

    BJP did not do well in the recent Assembly polls. But around half of the 77 seats they won came from north Bengal and SC-dominated regions. The four new ministers represent various communities and ethnic groups. Two of them are from north Bengal. Cooch Behar MP Nisith Pramanik (Home Affairs and Sports) represents Rajbongshis, the largest faction of the state’s SC community. Alipurduar MP John Barla (Minority Affairs) is the tribal face of the tea garden region.

    Bongaon MP Shantanu Thakur (Port, Shipping, Waterways) belongs to the Matua community, which is a Hindu religious sect of SC refugees from Bangladesh. Bankura MP Subhas Sarkar (Education) was the other one chosen. He is known to have done well for BJP in the Jungle Mahal belt.

    ‘‘Rajbongshis form around 40% of the electorates in north Bengal and the community has a stake of nearly 20% in the Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar regions. Selection of two MPs from this region clearly indicates that the party doesn’t want to lose its Rajbongshi and tribal vote share achieved since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,’’ said a BJP leader in Kolkata.

    North Bengal has proven to be the saffron camp’s stronghold in the last two elections. The region has 54 Assembly seats, of which BJP won 30. In the remaining 240, BJP secured victory only in 37.

    Barla recently raised a demand that north Bengal should become a separate Union Territory. Although the party did not officially endorse his view, naming him in the Cabinet suggests he remains an important figure in the scheme of things. “Separate statehood has been a long-standing demand of Gorkhas in the hills and Rajbongshis in the foothills. The inclusion of Barla in the Cabinet sends a message that the Centre is not ignoring local sentiments,” said the leader.

    Thakur had on several occasions expressed discontent over the issue of non-implementation of CAA, a promise BJP had made before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls to grant Matua refugees citizenship. “BJP performed well in Matua strongholds. Since implementation of CAA seems impossible now, Thakur was rewarded to ease out the discontent of Matuas, who will be needed in 2024 LS polls,’’ said another leader.

  • Half of BJP MLAs want to be with TMC: Saugata Roy

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA:  The Trinamool Congress claimed half of the BJP’s MLAs are in touch with its leadership and a decision on whether all of them will be inducted is yet to be taken. The party also said it was not happy with the Calcutta High Court’s recent order observing that the state government is in denial mode on the issue of post-poll violence.

    “More than half of BJP’s newly elected MLAs are in touch with our party, expressing their willingness to join. The party is yet to take a stand on this issue. It is the chief minister who will take the final decision,’’ said TMC MP and spokesperson Saugata Roy.

    Ever since her stupendous victory in the Assembly elections, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has opened the door only for Mukul Roy. Many BJP MLAs, who had defected from the TMC, said they were not happy with the saffron camp’s political narrative.

    Former minister Rajib Banerjee, who joined the BJP ahead of the elections, said he was not happy with the party’s divisive politics. Roy also said the party was not happy with the Calcutta High Court’s observation on post-poll violence. “The observation and order was given by a bench of five judges which include acting chief justice Rajesh Bindal. We wrote to the Chief Justice of India seeking removal of Bindal.”

    ALSO READ | No bypoll? Mamata Banerjee has a workaround, says Trinamool

    Last month, TMC MLA and  Bar Council of West Bengal chairperson Ashok Kumar Deb had alleged that Bindal was biased in the hearing of some prominent cases. Condemning the HC order engaging the National Human Rights Commission to submit a report, Roy said there was no need to engage the NHRC. “Such order is suitable when there is no government. We have a stable government and the state has its own human rights commission.” 

  • Bengal: No BJP worker can have party foe in Facebook friends list, decrees disciplinary action committee

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA:   If you are a member of the West Bengal BJP and have contacts with fellow politicians across party lines, your loyalty henceforth will be suspect. For, the party’s disciplinary action committee has just decreed that no BJP worker can have a party foe in his or her Facebook friends list. Also, ‘liking’ anti-BJP social media post is a strict no-no. A show-cause notice will be slapped if you dare to violate the fiat.

    The bizarre diktat comes as the party is at its wit’s end, trying to stem indiscipline in its ranks, with a section of leaders pouring out their anguish at the BJP’s poor performance in the recent Assembly elections on social media. 

    “Not just district functionaries, some state-level leaders, too, expressed displeasure with the party’s central leadership and held it responsible for the electoral loss through their social media accounts, especially Facebook,” said a senior BJP leader in Kolkata.

    The disciplinary action committee’s latest fiat left party workers astounded. “The diktat asking functionaries to remove anti-BJP people from their friends’ list is astounding. We have many friends whose political affiliation is different,’’ said an unhappy BJP leader.

    “The committee warned that other than serving show-cause notice, strict action could be taken against those who defy discipline, he shared. A three-member disciplinary action committee was set up on June 8 to control growing discontent within the party. It is headed by Lok Sabha member Subhas Sarkar.

    IT cell to keep watchAccording to party sources, the job of keeping an eye on functionaries will fall on the shoulders of West Bengal BJP’s IT unit. It will pick out party workers randomly and peer through their Facebook profiles for signs of disloyalty

  • ‘Intruders’ spotted during West Bengal BJP’s virtual meeting, probe on

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Functionaries of the BJP’s West Bengal chapter were taken by surprise with the presence of “intruders” during the party’s internal virtual meeting on Thursday evening. Acting upon the instruction from the party’s central leadership, BJP Bengal unit organised the meeting to discuss the strategy of showcasing BJP-led central government’s projects and schemes for people. 

    During the meeting, the party’s  IT cell, which provided technical support for the meeting involving state-level functionaries and all district presidents and general secretaries, spotted two suspicious usernames – Mamata Banerjee and Joy Bangla – among the participants.

    As soon as members of the IT cell started inquiring, several anti-BJP contents started pouring in the comment box. Sources in the BJP said someone among the participants must have shared the link of the meeting.

    “We are now searching the traitor(s) to avert re-run of similar incident of spying,” said a BJP leader. The meeting was chaired by BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, vice-president Jayprakash Majumdar and other state functionaries along with district leaders.

    “The high-command had instructed us to give our functionaries a guideline for showcasing and campaigning all the positive measured that the BJP-led Centre initiated during the party’s last seven-year tenure in the central government. It was completely an internal meeting,” said another BJP leader.

    Insiders in the party said the event started smoothly and the leaders were discussing about the strategy. “Some of our experts from the IT cell were also among the participants. Suddenly, the IT cell spotted two suspicious usernames. One is namesake of chief minister Mamata Banerjee and other used her pre-election slogan Jay Bangla. The IT cell immediately removed them,” said the leader.

    BJP’s general secretary in Bengal Sayantan Basu said the matter is being investigated. 

  • Suvendu Adhikari meets PM Modi in Delhi, discusses political dynamics

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence in New Delhi on Wednesday.

    According to sources, the two leaders discussed the alleged violence against BJP workers in West Bengal post Assembly elections and political dynamics in the state.

    On Tuesday, Adhikari met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several other union ministers and BJP leaders in Delhi.

    Adhikary arrived in the national capital late on Monday night.

    Last week, Suvendu Adhikari submitted a representation about post-poll retributive violence to West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.

    Several incidents of violence after the declaration of the state’s Assembly poll results have been reported.

    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that several of its party workers have been killed in the violence. However, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has denied the allegations.

    The state government, on May 25, had informed the Supreme Court that three people have been arrested in connection with the alleged killing of two BJP workers in post-election violence on May 2 in the state. 

  • BJP withdraws central force protection for party MLAs, leaders in West Bengal

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: The BJP’s national leadership has withdrawn the central force protection of more than 100 party MLA and leaders in West Bengal. The decision was conveyed to the Union Home Ministry on Thursday.

    The party made the decision after more than a dozen BJP MLAs refused to accept the protection, saying it would hurt the party’s public image. The MLAs said that the presence of gun-wielding security personnel around them was damaging the party’s people-friendly image.

    The party conducted a study into the concerns expressed by the MLAs and found them to be real. “The visuals of BJP leaders guarded by central forces while interacting with common people would hurt the party. Bengal voters have not seen an elected representative roaming around with central force personnel around him or her. It contradicts the political picture that the Bengalis have nurtured,” a senior BJP leader in Kolkata said.

    While addressing election rallies, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attacked the Centre over the “excessive” use of central force personnel and their alleged “highhandedness” during the eight-phase Assembly elections in the state.

    After the ruling party secured a landslide victory, the presence of central forces around the party leaders was causing damage to the saffron camp’s image, admitted the BJP leader. Before the elections, as many as 18 BJP leaders used to get central force protection in the state. The number went up to 168, just ahead of the elections. 

    The BJP had accorded central force protection to a number of party candidates who defected from the Trinamool Congress. The protectees were seen doing mundane activities like shopping in local markets with central-force jawans around them. 

  • BJP’s West Bengal unit told to stay mum on chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay’s transfer

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: The BJP’s central leadership has asked leaders of the party’s West Bengal unit not to make comments on the transfer of the state chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay to New Delhi.

    Sources said that the aim is to keep the party’s Bengal unit out of the controversy that has erupted over the transfer of the state’s top bureaucrat, which was announced hours after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee skipped a cyclone review meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. 

    The ruling Trinamool Congress has claimed that Bandopadhyay’s transfer is yet another example of the BJP practising vendetta politics after its dismal performance in the state Assembly elections. “Our national leadership has asked us to desist from making any comments related to the chief secretary’s transfer. It seems, the party wants to make it clear that it was the Union government’s decision, and that the state BJP had no role to play,” a senior BJP functionary said in Kolkata.

    Reacting to Bandopadhyay’s transfer, Mamata said the BJP has not been able to digest its poor results in the recently-held Assembly elections.

    She also charged that the Centre is trying to cause harm to the state by transferring an officer who was overseeing relief operations in areas affected by Cyclone Yaas as well as the state’s fight against COVID-19.

    Both the CPM and Congress also echoed Mamata and described the Centre’s transfer order to Bandopadhyay, issued without consulting the state government, as revenge for the TMC defeating the BJP in the state.

    Sources in the state secretariat said Bandopadhyay is not likely to report in Delhi on Monday. “He will attend a meeting headed by the chief minister over the issue of the post-cyclone situation and relief operations,” said an official of the state government.

    The state government is yet to give a clearance to report to Delhi over Banopadhyay’s transfer. Nor has the Centre responded to the state government’s request to withdraw his transfer letter. Notable, the West Bengal government had sought a three-month tenure extension for Bandyopadhyay, who was scheduled to retire on May 31. The Centre had approved it.

  • BJP says Mamata Banerjee tried to derail PM Modi’s meeting with district magistrates

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The BJP hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, alleging that she tried to derail Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with district magistrates (DMs).

    Accusing Banerjee of not allowing the DM of North 24 Parganas to participate in the meeting of district officials with the prime minister, the BJP said her behaviour is highly condemnable.

    Modi held a second round of interaction with DMs and field officials on the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday.

    “She (Banerjee) rarely attends the meetings called by the prime minister and today, she tried to derail the meeting between the prime minister and the district magistrates,” Union minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

    “If the prime minister is talking to the district magistrates on the good work done by them in their districts and sharing their good practices with others, what is wrong with that?” he asked.

    Prasad said Banerjee’s behaviour is “shameful” and “least expected” from a chief minister of a state.

    The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo should rise above politics and work for the welfare of people as the country needs to speak in unison, he said.

    Underlining that Modi has repeatedly been engaging himself with the stakeholders in handling the pandemic situation, Prasad said the prime minister has also spoken with the DMs of opposition-ruled states such as Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.

    Modi asked the officials on Thursday to record the spread of the coronavirus infection and its seriousness among youngsters and children, and cautioned them saying the challenge posed by COVID-19 will remain as long it is present in the country even on a “minor scale”.

    Meanwhile, Banerjee alleged that Modi’s meeting with the chief ministers on the COVID situation was “super flop”, as she and many of her counterparts from other states were not allowed to speak, which was akin to insulting them.

  • BJP crossed magic figure after sixth phase: JP Nadda

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: BJP national president J P Nadda on Monday claimed that his party had crossed the magic figure of 148 seats after the sixth phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections held on April 22. He also expressed gratitude to the electorates for supporting the BJP.

    “The BJP is all set to come to power in West Bengal. We have already crossed 148 seats out of 294 required to form the government in the state. In the last two phases, the BJP will touch its target of bagging 200 constituencies,” said Nadda at a press conference in Kolkata as he concluded his party’s high-octane campaign for the West Bengal elections.

    Nadda also said the elections in the state remained peaceful this time as his party workers did not fall into the trap of the ruling Trinamool Congress.“TMC workers had been instigating our party workers since the first phase. But it was our foot-soldiers who did not step into their trap. The people voted for the BJP in large numbers and rejected the misrule of the Mamata Banerjee government,” he added.

    He reiterated that the BJP would keep its promise of building a “Sonar Bangla” and the process will start after May 2, the counting day. Nadda accused Banerjee of misleading people of West Bengal on various issues, ranging from “insider-outsider” to Covid vaccination during the campaigning. He also asserted his party had upheld the culture and legacy of Bengal as against the “insulting” language adopted by Banerjee against the BJP leadership.

  • Central forces did the right thing, says BJP’s Rahul Sinha on Cooch Behar firing

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: A day after Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh courted a controversy as he warned of more Cooch Behar-like killings, another senior leader of the party, Rahul Sinha, said on Monday that the central forces, if deemed fit, could have shot dead more than four persons in the district in its bid to thwart attempts of vote-rigging.

    Ghosh had on Sunday said more Cooch Behar-like killings may happen in the next phase of assembly elections if “naughty boys like the ones who died in Sitalkuchi” try to take the law into their hands.

    ALSO READ | Mamata Banerjee says BJP killing own cadre, promises to probe Cooch Behar shooting

    Sinha, who was in the Habra area of North 24 Parganas, told reporters, “Miscreants sheltered by TMC supremo (Mamata Banerjee) are shooting innocent BJP supporters in polling booths. Her goons are taking away the voting rights of common people. The central forces did the right thing by opening fire on these miscreants.”

    He further went on to say that “the central forces, in its effort to stop rigging, could have shot dead more than four maybe seven or eight – if necessary”.

    His remarks drew sharp reactions from various political parties.

    ALSO READ | Cooch Behar firing: EC’s clean chit to CISF based on hypothetical reports, says CPM’s Biman Bose 

    The TMC boss, without naming Sinha, said at a public meeting, “A BJP leader has said eight people should have been shot dead by the central forces on Saturday. I condemn this statement. Such leaders should be banned from politics.”

    Urging the Election Commission to take note of the remarks made by Ghosh and Sinha, CPI(M) candidate from Jadavpur Sujan Chakraborty said, “These comments reflect the fascist nature of the BJP.

    The poll panel should initiate action against these leaders for such irresponsible comments.”

    Chakraborty also claimed that “certain statements made by Banerjee are also triggering violence in the poll-bound state, and fanning the flames of polarisation”.