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Samik only candidate, set to be BJP's new Bengal prez

Samik only candidate, set to be BJP's new Bengal prez

Time of Indiaa day ago
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Kolkata: Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya was the only candidate to submit a nomination for elections to the post of Bengal BJP president, almost sealing the outcome. Accompanied by Bengal leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari and incumbent party president Sukanta Majumdar, Bhattacharya submitted his nomination at the party's Salt Lake office on Wednesday.
Bhattacharya flew down to Kolkata from New Delhi on Wednesday morning to submit his nomination. On Monday, he had met BJP national president JP Nadda at his residence in New Delhi.
On Thursday, party workers and functionaries will gather at a programme at Science City, and the party's new state president is likely to be formally announced. "A party president changes, and the baton is handed over. It's a continuous process.
The principles of the party remain the same," Bhattacharya said.
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A BJP member for over four decades, Bhattacharya joined RSS in 1971. He was state general secretary of BJP's youth wing for over a decade. "During his stint in BJYM, Bhattacharya was a key person to maintain coordination between RSS and ABVP," said a Bengal BJP neta. He was a state general secretary of the party for three consecutive terms and also a national council member.
Bhattacharya became an MLA in 2014 when he won the Basirhat assembly bypoll. He was able to wrest the seat from CPM, and pushed BJP's vote share from 4% in 2011 to 33.5% in 2014. During his stint as a lawmaker, Bhattacharya was able to garner acceptance across communities. "He is one of the very few party netas who still don't use personal guards," said a Bengal BJP senior. Bhattacharya, however, would probably have to give up that habit now.
Known for his erudition in multiple subjects, Bhattacharya has often been a crisis manager as BJP's state spokesperson. The soft-spoken Bhattacharya has also often been chosen to speak at public forums. He was also a key member of the global outreach team following Operation Sindoor.
"Bhattacharya is well accepted by party veterans as well as the newcomers. He has constantly been working as a bridge between the old and the new. He has travelled to every district and has close contact with party workers. Even if it involved Dilip Ghosh or Sukanta Majumdar, Bhattacharya was always the person to resolve differences," said a neta.
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