Whipsawed Bengal BJP now devising strategy to corner 'corruption-ridden' TMC

Kolkata: The Bengal BJP, which has long been trying to combat infighting and exodus from its ranks, is, of late, making fresh attempts to challenge the ruling TMC, which is currently fighting corruption allegations and central agency raids.

The saffron party, which had been licking its wounds since last year's assembly poll defeat, is seeking to corner the TMC with a revival plan, with national general secretary Sunil Bansal hoping to breathe a new lease of life in the state unit.

The situation will improve within the party in the days to come, said Bansal.

"I don't think there is any major problem. Whatever the issues… will be resolved. We will prepare a roadmap for next year's panchayat polls and 2024 Lok Sabha polls after Durga Puja," Bansal told PTI.

BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya, too, said that the leadership is hopeful of coming up with a revival strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"Yes, there has been disarray within the party since the assembly poll defeat. But it will quickly overcome the situation. Post-poll violence unleashed by the TMC is one of the biggest reasons why the party lost its morale. More than 8,000 workers were rendered homeless," Bhattacharya told PTI.

According to some BJP insiders, however, the party, despite being the main opposition, has failed to corner the TMC so far, "even when the corruption-ridden ruling camp is going through its worst crisis since coming to power".

The party's national secretary, Anupam Hazra, who had repeatedly called for introspection, said, "The state leadership should take everyone along, both old and the new. Sidelining experienced leaders further worsened matters. This situation has to change.

"We have to set our own house in order first and then put up a fight against the TMC," he said.

The party, which had been struggling to keep its flock together since the assembly poll debacle, with top leaders and legislators, including Babul Supriyo, Arjun Singh and Mukul Roy, switching over to the TMC, faced internal rebellion earlier this year as several leaders openly hit out at the leadership.

In addition, it has also been witnessing a slide in vote share in all elections held in the state since the last assembly polls.

Sources in the BJP said that a campaign alleging that the TMC and the BJP have a "tacit understanding", after the Mamata Banerjee party skipped the vice-presidential polls "hurt our image".

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar rubbished claims that the party had failed to put up a fight against the TMC.

"Despite all threats and intimidation, our party workers are putting up a tough fight against the corrupt TMC regime. And in the days to come, we would emerge victorious by overcoming all obstacles," he said.

Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, making light of BJP's assertions, stated that the saffron party is a "spent force" in the state.

"The BJP will soon cross its expiry date in the state," Ghosh maintained.

Political analyst Subhomoy Maitra claimed that the lack of young faces has halted BJP's march in the state.

"If you look at the revival of the Left, it is mainly due to induction of young leaders. But the BJP has failed to do the same. Also, the perception that there is a tacit understanding between the TMC and the BJP is hurting the saffron camp's credibility as an anti-TMC force in the state," he said.

Biswanath Chakraborty, another political scientist, said it would be "too early" to write off the BJP.

"The Bengal BJP, despite having performed well in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, failed to keep up the momentum in Bengal. But it would be too early to write them off. I feel the BJP may try to make a comeback before the Lok Sabha polls," he added.