BJP to bank more on state units in polls but lacks credible face in West Bengal

NEW DELHI: Drawing lessons from the electoral drubbings in Delhi and Bihar, the BJP is keen to fight the forthcoming assembly elections in West Bengal with active involvement of local leaders and by projecting a face, not just to give the campaign a local feel but also to cushion PM Modi from taking the blame in case the results are not in the party’s favour.

However, the BJP is not yet a potent force in Bengal and it lacks local leaders who can be projected as a rival to chief minister Mamata Banerjee and CPM leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, party insiders said.

“BJP top leaders had some hope that singer-turned-MP Babul Supriyo would gradually emerge as a popular leader in West Bengal, but they were disappointed as after the Lok Sabha elections he did not devote much time to party work. He may attract crowds but is not taken seriously as a leader,” a party leader said.

Elections for the BJP state unit chiefs across the country are due in December-January and party leaders expect the present incumbent, Rahul Sinha, to get another term in West Bengal. “Sinha’s performance as state unit chief has not been satisfactory and there were demands to remove him, but in the absence of any other credible face the party may decide to give him another term,” a senior central office-bearer from the BJP said.

BJP is also expected to have a tacit understanding with former railway minister Mukul Roy, who is on the verge of leaving the ruling Trinamool Congress and floating his own party, during the state elections due in April-May. Though party chief Amit Shah has not given him an audience, party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya is the conduit through whom Roy is trying to join hands with BJP, sources said. The BJP is also likely to try Trinamool Congress’ strategy of using actors to attract crowds.

Banerjee had fielded Tapas Pal, Satabdi Roy and Moon Sen as candidates in LS polls and got seats.