Blame game, resignations in Bengal BJP after by-polls debacle

Senior party leaders have called for introspection by the party’s State leadership

 Blame game and resignations have once again shaken the BJP’s West Bengal unit after a string of defeats in the by-elections.

On Saturday, the BJP lost the Asansol Lok Sabha seat to the Trinamool Congress by margin of over 3 lakh votes and finished third in the Ballygunge Assembly seat after the Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M).  

Over the past two days, three party functionaries have announced their resignations, complaining that the leadership was not taking their views into account. Party MLA Gouri Shankar Ghosh tendered his resignation from the post of State Committee Secretary on Sunday. State party working committee members Bani Ganguly and Dipankar Choudhury too have resigned. Leaders from Murshidabad and districts like Nadia and Jalpiagurui have blamed the State leadership for the by-poll debacle.

Two senior leaders, Bishnupur Lok Sabha MP Saumitra Khan and party’s national secretary Anupam Hazra, called for introspection by the State leadership.

Mr. Khan, who has been vocal over the past two days, said its was the BJP’s weakness more than the Trinamool’s strength that led to the latter’s victory in Asansol. He said the State leadership was made up of “inexperienced leaders bereft of any political maturity” and called for a “medicine from Delhi” for setting things right.

 Mr. Hazra said if things continued the way they were going, the “very existence of the party would be at stake in West Bengal”.   

“If we do not discuss our shortcomings, then how will we overcome them?  When dedicated people quit from their responsibility, it is not good for the party,” he said.