logo
BJP set to get a new state unit chief in Samik Bhattacharya

BJP set to get a new state unit chief in Samik Bhattacharya

Indian Express6 days ago
With the crucial Assembly elections in West Bengal less than a year away, the BJP is all set to appoint a new state president as it gets going on setting its house in order. Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya, the only leader to have filed the nomination on Wednesday, is all set to take over the reins of the party from Union Minister and incumbent Sukanta Majumdar.
Sources in the BJP, which is in the process of appointing new state presidents across the country, said Bhattacharya's main challenge will be to put an end to factionalism in the state unit before the elections. The central leadership believes the MP will be an acceptable option to the different factions in the state unit.
'The party always prefers grassroots leaders and Bhattacharya is the perfect choice, especially ahead of the Assembly polls. All district-level leaders have known him for years and find it easy to communicate with him,' a senior leader said.
The leader went on to add that Bhattacharya's nature of not revolting against the state and central leadership, good relations with all factions of the party, and proximity to RSS leaders tipped the scales in his favour. 'He never makes personal attacks on leaders. The BJP will fight the 2026 polls unitedly under his leadership,' the leader said.
Bhattacharya, 61, who has over four decades of political experience, started his career in 1971 with the RSS in Howrah and subsequently moved to the BJP. He steadily rose through the ranks and gradually emerged as one of the party's most popular faces in the state in the 1990s because of his strong oratory skills.
He served in several positions such as the general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha's South Howrah mandal and general secretary of Howrah district. He was later elevated to the post of state general secretary of the BJP's youth wing, a post he held for 11 years.
Bhattacharya also served as the general secretary of the Bengal BJP for three terms. In 2014, he won the Basirhat Dakshin Assembly bypoll and was a legislator for just over a year. Last year, he was sent to the Upper House.
'He is such a good orator that Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Surjya Kanta Mishra of the CPI(M) gave him time from his quota in the Assembly, as Bhattacharya was the lone BJP MLA (2014 to 2016) and was not allotted more than five minutes. He loves poetry and frequently quotes eminent poets such as Shankha Ghosh and Shakti Chattopadhyay, who is his favourite,' said a senior CPI(M) leader.
In 2017, the state CID summoned Bhattacharya in connection with its probe into an alleged scam in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
Targeting the BJP, Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, 'There is a constant fight between the camps led by Majumdar, LoP Suvendu Adhikari and former MP Dilip Ghosh. The BJP thinks Bhattacharya's appointment will solve the issue, but in reality, all three factions will disturb him. It will be tough for him to keep the BJP united. Even though I do not support his ideology, I am aware of his decent behaviour.'
Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal.
Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari brings out list of 50 Trinamool youth leaders ‘controlling' college campuses
Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari brings out list of 50 Trinamool youth leaders ‘controlling' college campuses

The Hindu

time31 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari brings out list of 50 Trinamool youth leaders ‘controlling' college campuses

Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) presented a list of 50 Trinamool student leaders, accusing them of exerting unchecked power in various educational institutions across the State. 'This has just 50 names, but I can give 950 more,' Mr. Adhikari said while presenting what he called a 'gallery of lumpens'. In the slideshow, the alleged Trinamool student leaders were mostly shown to be ex-students, office bearers of the Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad (TMCP) and current employees of the same institution in posts ranging from non-teaching staff to assistant professor. He accused them of being 'notorious criminals' and of turning college union rooms into centres of debauchery where women would allegedly be harassed and substances would be consumed. 'They all received these job appointments in completely illegal ways. Worthy candidates had no opportunity to bag these posts. They were first given casual job appointments, which were later regularised by the Governing Bodies of the institution,' Mr Adhikari alleged. He further alleged that Governing Bodies of most higher education institutions are being headed by Trinamool Congress supporters. He further added that the student leaders would also enjoy access to the top leadership of the Trinamool. 'The college Governing Bodies have a free rein in the appointment of non-teaching staff. Trinamool cadre en masse have been hired through them. On the other hand, the few professors you see on the list were fraudulently appointed through the College Service Commission by Partha Chattopadhyay,' the BJP MLA said. Mr Chattopadhyay, who is the former State Education Minister, is currently behind bars in connection to the alleged school jobs recruitment scam. 'A section of college principals doesn't speak up against this out of fear. Another section of unqualified college principals who were appointed undeservedly do not want to displease the ruling dispensation. They saw what happened to those who had displeased them,' Mr Adhikari added. Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh refuted these claims alleging that during the regime of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), all college campuses were under the Left's local committees and local police station. 'In BJP States, BJP controls college campuses…All student leaders cannot be bad. When Suvendu was in the Trinamool Congress and Trinamool student leaders in his neighbourhood sloganeered in his favour, then he did not mind?' Mr Ghosh asked. Questions were raised about threat culture, corruption, and unchecked misuse of power by leaders of Trinamool's student wing across various colleges in the State when the prime accused in the Kolkata law college rape case, Monojit Mishra, was described by the survivor as a the 'unofficial head' of the party's college unit. Mishra, alias 'MangoDa', had been appointed as a temporary non-teaching staff of the South Calcutta Law College months before he was accused of raping a student in the guard room. While Trinamool Congress leaders disassociated the party from Mishra following rape allegations, in earlier conversations with The Hindu, current students of the college described him as a 'threatening personality who could not be challenged without dire consequences.' In related developments, a video surfaced online allegedly capturing Trinamool youth leader Pratik Kumar De in the union room of Sonarpur Mahavidyalaya getting a head massage from a female student of the college. Additionally, on Tuesday (July 8, 2025), residents of Ballygunge staged a demonstration against Trinamool student leader Sanjay Choudhury, accusing him of fostering an environment of debauchery in the Industrial Training Institute in Ballygunge, despite graduating over a decade ago.

Tur dal price crash engineered by Centre, says Surjewala
Tur dal price crash engineered by Centre, says Surjewala

Time of India

time31 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Tur dal price crash engineered by Centre, says Surjewala

Bengaluru: Congress national general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala Tuesday said the distress of tur dal farmers in Karnataka is due to the Centre's duty-free import policy that triggered a price crash and accused the BJP-led govt of causing a loss of Rs 1,550 crore to farmers through its flawed minimum support price (MSP) policy. "This price crash is not an accident. It is a direct outcome of Modi govt's policies engineered in Delhi, not a drought in Karnataka," said Surjewala. "This is economic sabotage of farmers of Karnataka and Maharashtra, which together contribute 50% of India's tur dal production. The problem also lies in the Centre announcing MSP but not procuring enough. The ministry of agriculture's own data shows that in 2022-23, India's farmers produced 276.9 lakh tonnes of pulses but the Modi govt purchased only 1.2 lakh tonnes at MSP. This shows that MSP of pulses is a farce." He said in five years since May 2021, the Centre allowed duty-free import of tur dal. The last notification was issued on Jan 20 this year, making import of the pulse duty-free until March 31 next year. He said because of this, cheap and low-quality imports from Myanmar, Tanzania, and Mozambique besides Australia, Africa and Canada have flooded India's markets. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru "In 2022-23, the Modi govt imported 24.9 lakh tonnes of pulses," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 7 All-Inclusive Destinations That Accept Credit Card Rewards Liseer Learn More Undo "Imports doubled in 2023-24 to 48.4 lakh tonnes. To add to farmers' distress, 67 lakh tonnes were imported in 2024-25. While Karnataka produces over 3.7 lakh tonnes of premium GI-tagged tur dal, barely 49,000 tonnes were procured at MSP, leaving as much as 3.2 lakh tonnes to be sold below MSP." He accused the Centre of entering into long-term MOUs, guaranteeing farmers in countries like Mozambique that it would import two lakh tonnes every year, while leaving Karnataka's farmers in the lurch. Surjewala said in 2024-25 MSP of tur dal was Rs 7,550 per quintal, but Karnataka's farmers were forced to sell at Rs 6,000 per quintal. He said the Karnataka govt had demanded an MSP of Rs 16,548 per quintal for 2025-26, considering the cost of cultivation — which is Rs 11,032 per quintal — but the Centre has fixed an MSP of Rs 8,000 per quintal.

Sringeri assembly segment hobbled by lack of development, dwindling infra
Sringeri assembly segment hobbled by lack of development, dwindling infra

Time of India

time31 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Sringeri assembly segment hobbled by lack of development, dwindling infra

Chikkamagaluru: The Sringeri assembly segment was considered one of the most prominent and wealthy in the state in terms for its development activities. However, today, residents bemoan that it is lagging behind and in need of immediate attention. From roads to administrative offices, the condition has worsened. People are suffering due to a lack of infrastructure and other issues, including yellow leaf and leaf spot diseases that are affecting areca plants, and the hazard of frequent run-ins with wild animals. The assembly segment comprises three taluks: Sringeri, Koppa, and Narasimharaja Pura, along with Khandya Hobli of Chikkamagaluru taluk. The segment has three 'mini' Vidhana Soudhas, but unfortunately, all three are in poor condition and need urgent maintenance work. Leaking roofs make it almost impossible for the staff to discharge their duties, complained one of the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. When it comes to basic infrastructure such as roads and bridges, the condition is just as miserable. Majority of the roads, including state highways, national highways, and district roads, are in a dilapidated state, said social activist Kalkuli Mallappa Hegde. He added that the taluk offices are also in very bad shape. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bulford: If You Were Born Between 1945-1974 You Could Be Eligible For This British Seniors Read More Undo He further claimed that bridges and roads damaged during the last monsoon are yet to be repaired. In addition, sub-standard material and workmanship has put paid to hopes of a speedy redressal. As a result of poor roads, accidents have become all too common, leaving many injured. Recently, several tourists were injured near Balehonnur after their bus met with an accident. Shekara, a Koppa resident, said MLA T D Rajegowda kept blaming the BJP for not allowing him to take up development works between 2018 and 2023. However, even though he has the authority now, he has failed to deliver. Even as Koppa tahsildar Likitha Mohan confirmed that renovation of the administrative building has been taken up at a cost of Rs 2.5 lakh, according to one official in Sringeri, the taluk office building was renovated only recently and has no leakage. MLA Rajegowda and deputy commissioner C N Meena Nagaraj could not be reached for comments.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store