Oct 24th, 2024 ... will be senior BJP leader and Amit Shah’s first visit to West Bengal in the aftermath of the R.G. Kar tragedy which has created a strong sense of anti-incumbency against the Trinamool Congress and state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
But it is also argued that the protests led by junior doctors have not done much for the BJP’s prospects in terms of 'perception' battle or BJP's ow organisational strengths.
The Left-liberal forces led by the CPI(M) have been on the forefront in the protests and even the saffron party’s sit-in demonstration for several days at Esplanade and tacit support for a seemingly apolitical ‘March to Nabanna’ (state secretariat) call, too, did not seem to have done or achieved much for the Lotus party politically.
The Union Home Minister will launch the West Bengal leg of the BJP’s membership drive in Kolkata on October 24.
The saffron party is still trying to come to terms with the fact that in 2024 general elections, its tally in West Bengal notwithstanding high expectations came down to 12 from 18 in 2019. This meant a net loss of six seats.
Hence there is a feeling that Amit Shah’s personal presence could work as morale-booster for the Karyakartas. Of course, BJP's "unexpected win" in Haryana has given a shot in the arm to the party workers across India and it has yet again proved that if sincere efforts are made by workers and leaders at various levels, the people of India would still vote for Narendra Modi and the saffron outfit.
West Bengal state chief Sukanta Majumdar and the leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari will attend the event. Things have not been very smooth between the two. The party leadership also from time to time see latent cold wars between these two camps and also there is a third angle vis-a-vis the Dilip Ghosh camp.
Ghosh was state unit president and was once credited for giving party workers the necessary strength to take on the Mamata Banerjee-regime.
After Shah kicks off the drive in the state, party workers will embark on a door-to-door campaign and organise camps to encourage people to join the BJP. The existing members—roughly around 200,000 — have renewed their memberships.
How many is added after October 24 and Shah's visit will be important to note.
The party will also have to prepare for by-polls to six assembly seats due on November 13. the civic body elections in politically sensitive Howrah is also likely next year.
The BJP needs a turnaround in Mamata-ruled state in more ways than one.
BJP Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya, who is given the responsibility of heading the membership drive in the state, said: “The membership drive is a very important function of the party, where, apart from getting new members, all old party members will have to renew their membership.”
Earlier this month, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose wrote to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asking her government to file a report to him detailing how Rs 1.17 lakh crore of central funds allotted to the state in the 2023-24 fiscal under various schemes were utilised.
Bose wrote the letter after he was informed that the state government has not placed several Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports in the assembly, violating the constitutional obligation.
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