Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya set to take over as new Bengal BJP chief unopposed

Kolkata | Senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya is set to become the new president of the West Bengal BJP as no other candidate filed nomination for the post till the deadline on Wednesday.

Accompanied by outgoing state president Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Suvendu Adhikari, Bhattacharya submitted his nomination papers at the party’s office in Salt Lake in the afternoon.

According to a party notice, nominations were accepted between 2 pm and 4 pm, followed by scrutiny and a window for withdrawal till 6 pm.

"Since Bhattacharya, the 61-year-old MP, was the sole candidate for the post and did not withdraw his nomination, he would be declared elected unopposed," a senior BJP leader said.

The official announcement is expected to be made during a felicitation programme at the Science City auditorium in Kolkata on Thursday.

The process to elect the new state BJP chief began on Wednesday, a day after the official election schedule was made public.

The party's returning officer and MLA, Deepak Barman, in the evening confirmed that only one procedurally valid nomination was received and accepted.

“The Sangathan Parv of the Bharatiya Janata Party, West Bengal, has reached its final stage. Today, in the concluding phase, 60 karyakartas submitted their nominations at the state headquarters to become members of the National Council. All nominations have been accepted. For the post of the party's state president, only one procedurally valid nomination was submitted, and it has also been accepted,” he said in a statement.

The ‘State President Election & Felicitation Ceremony’ will be held at Science City, where the names of the state council members will be announced in the presence of the State Election Officer and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

When congratulated, Bhattacharya said, “My name is yet to be announced as the next BJP state chief. And this is an ongoing process in the party.”

Asked by PTI about his priorities as the next state BJP chief, he said ensuring the victory of the party in the next assembly polls would be his topmost priority.

“We have to ensure that the rule of law is restored in West Bengal and there is a proper atmosphere for growth of industries so that this brain drain from Bengal is stopped. And most importantly, to ensure that the existence of Bengali Hindus is not threatened,” he said.

According to state BJP sources, one "improperly filled and unsigned" nomination paper for the post of the party's Bengal unit chief was not accepted.

The state BJP leadership declined to comment on the matter, stating, “Only one valid nomination was submitted.”

Outgoing state president and union minister Sukanta Majumdar said the change of guard is an ongoing process in the BJP.

“This is a natural phenomenon, and this is a relay race, where the race continues but the baton changes hands. We have achieved 38 per cent vote share and hope that we will improve on it and oust the TMC government in the next election,” he told reporters.

The party’s election officer for the state, Ravi Shankar Prasad, will formally hand over the certificate of election to Bhattacharya at the event on Thursday afternoon.

Bhattacharya will take over the reins of the state unit at a critical juncture with the 2026 Assembly polls less than a year away.

Strengthening the party’s organisational machinery and expanding its base across the state are expected to be Bhattacharya’s priorities.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the BJP had won 77 seats. Since then, the tally has come down to 65, with 12 seats lost either due to by-polls caused by the demise of MLAs or defections to the ruling TMC.

Bhattacharya’s key challenges will include ensuring better coordination between the party’s organisational and legislative wings and unifying the various factions within the state BJP.

Another major task ahead for him is countering the TMC’s consistent attempt to brand the BJP as “anti-Bengali” and an “outsider party”, a narrative that has gained traction in past elections.

Political observers feel it is to be seen how Bhattacharya, known for his articulate communication style and long-standing association with the BJP and RSS, navigates these hurdles.