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

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
36 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Retained as Odisha chief for leading BJP to first solo govt: Who is Manmohan Samal
The ruling BJP in Odisha has retained Manmohan Samal as the state unit president for another term as he was the lone party leader to file his nomination Monday for election to the post. Samal, 65, is thus set to be elected unopposed as the Odisha BJP chief, which would be declared by the party's central observer Sanjay Jaiswal on Tuesday. His candidature was decided with consensus at a meeting of senior BJP leaders at the party headquarters in Bhubaneswar following which he filed his nomination. BJP insiders said Samal has been entrusted with the task of heading the Odisha party unit for another term for his 'political acumen' that helped the party win an absolute majority for the first time in the 2024 Assembly polls. The BJP won 78 of the state's 147 seats as against the BJD's 51 seats. Under his leadership, the party also swept the simultaneous 2024 Lok Sabha polls in the state, bagging 20 of the total 21 seats. 'Even though the BJP central leadership had almost decided to forge an alliance with the BJD for the 2024 elections, Samal was the only party leader who did not just oppose the alliance proposal but also convinced the leadership to fight alone,' said a senior party leader. Following his appointment as the state BJP head in March 2023 in the run-up to the Assembly polls, Samal emerged as a key party leader who could gauge public sentiments and sense a 'strong anti-incumbency mood' against the then Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government, which had been then into its fifth consecutive term since 2000. 'Samal convinced the BJP central leaders not to forge an alliance with the BJD but to contest on its own with an aggressive campaign. The central leadership had to agree with his proposal and it helped the party to dislodge the BJD government, clearing the path for the first BJP government in Odisha,' said the party leader. Samal has been active in politics since his student days in the late 1970s, when he held various positions in the RSS' students wing ABVP. BJP sources said his appointment as the state party president was also approved by the Sangh. He had served as the state BJP chief for two terms during 1999-2004 too. Considered a grassroots leader with strong organisational skills, Samal, who belongs to the Other Backward Class (OBC), was nominated by the BJP to the Rajya Sabha in April 2000. He had to quit as the MP after his election to the Odisha Assembly from the Dhamnagar Assembly constituency in Bhadrak in 2004. In the then BJD-BJP coalition government, Samal held key portfolios of revenue and food supplies and consumer welfare from 2004 to 2008. In 2009, the BJD severed its alliance with the BJP. Samal, who shifted his constituency to neighbouring Chandabali after Dhamnagar was reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SCs), could not win any election from his new seat since 2014 polls, losing to the BJD candidate even in the 2024 polls by about 1,900 votes. An affable leader, Samal is known for his connect with all party factions in the state. He is also credited in BJP circles with ensuring a 'proper coordination' between the Mohan Charan Majhi-led government and the party organisation.


Deccan Herald
39 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
'Patak ke maarenge': BJP's Nishikant Dubey dares Uddhav, Raj to step out of Maharashtra amid Hindi-Marathi row
#WATCH | Guwahati, Assam | On Raj Thackeray's remark 'beat but don't make a video', BJP MP Nishikant Dubey says, "...You people are surviving on our money. What kind of industries do you have?... If you are courageous enough and beat those who speak Hindi, then you should beat…


Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Assam CM launches ‘Mission BTR', claims Congress has ‘no foothold' in Bodoland
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma kicked off a five-day tour of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) on Monday, unveiling the BJP's ambitious "Mission BTR" to bolster development and party support ahead of the upcoming Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections. Addressing a massive rally at Green Field in Kokrajhar, the BTR headquarters, Sarma exuded confidence in the BJP's dominance in the region, declaring, "Congress has no presence here. Congress belongs in Pakistan." The remark drew loud cheers from the crowd, signalling the BJP's aggressive stance as the election season approaches. Sarma highlighted the BJP-led government's success in restoring stability in BTR following the 2020 BTR peace accord. "The last five years were about establishing peace - no encounters, no bomb blasts. The next five years will be about all-around development for every community," he asserted. Emphasising the party's electoral ambitions, he added, "We are not here to lose. We are here to win for peace, development, and the welfare of BTR's people." The rally, attended by state BJP chief Dilip Saikia, Minister Ashok Singhal, and several BTC leaders, underscored the party's focus on consolidating its base in BTR. Sarma outlined a two-pronged strategy: securing victory in the BTC polls and gearing up for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections. "After BTC, we will shift full focus to 2026. Our goal is clear - to form the government again," he said. Later, Sarma chaired a review meeting at the Kokrajhar District Commissioner's office to assess the implementation of state welfare schemes, reinforcing the BJP's development-centric agenda. With "Mission BTR," the BJP aims to position itself as the region's primary force for stability and progress, leaving little room for opposition parties in its political calculus.