BJP’s Bengal unit gears up for leadership change ahead of 2026 state polls
The Statesman | 2 July 2025
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set for a major leadership reshuffle in West Bengal, with the election for the post of state president scheduled for Thursday, 3 July.
The move comes as part of the party’s strategic overhaul ahead of the crucial 2026 Assembly elections. According to party insiders, more than 400 members have been enlisted for the election committee that will oversee the process. Outgoing state president Sukanta Majumdar’s term will not be extended, making a change in leadership imminent, a BJP insider said. The nomination and withdrawal of candidature will take place on 2 July, followed by polling and result declaration on 3 July.
The schedule was officially announced on Tuesday by BJP MLA and returning officer Deepak Barman. Amid intense speculation, the spotlight has now turned to who will succeed Majumdar. Party sources suggest that senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Shamik Bhattacharya is emerging as the frontrunner. With his long-standing association with the party and strong ideological credentials, many believe the BJP may be ushering in the “Shamik era” in Bengal. The high-stakes leadership change comes after months of internal reviews, discussions, and brainstorming between top state leaders and the central BJP brass. From BJP national president J P Nadda to Union home minister Amit Shah and Bengal observer Sunil Bansal, several high-level closed-door meetings have been held to chart the party’s course in the state.
A key concern for the BJP has been its diminishing electoral returns in Bengal since the 2021 Assembly elections. The party has underperformed in successive elections, prompting urgent calls to strengthen grassroots organisation and booth-level mobilisation — seen as critical to countering the ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC). Though an election has been formally announced for the state president’s post, party insiders hint that the process may be largely symbolic, with consensus already building around one candidate.
If the buzz is to be believed, Shamik Bhattacharya’s name is likely to be the sole nomination submitted — possibly in a sealed envelope on 2 July. This speculation gained momentum following a recent closed-door meeting between Bhattacharya and J P Nadda at the latter’s residence in Delhi. Bhattacharya, however, dismissed suggestions of a leadership shift being the agenda of the meeting. Speaking to reporters, he said he had met Nadda to brief him on a parliamentary delegation’s foreign tour related to “Operation Sindoor,” in which he was a participant. Whether that explanation holds true will become clearer after 3 July.
Interestingly, despite the high-decibel buzz around the leadership transition, former state president Dilip Ghosh’s name has been conspicuously absent from discussions. Once seen as a strong contender, Ghosh appears to have fallen out of favour with both the central leadership and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), sources suggest. As a result, he is not being considered for a comeback to the top post in the state. With the 2026 Bengal elections looming, the BJP’s top brass appears determined to recalibrate its state unit under new leadership — a move they hope will revive the party’s fortunes in one of India’s most politically volatile battlegrounds.