With West Bengal’s Bharatiya Janata Party unit grappling with electoral setbacks, a reshuffle is on the cards. At least two of the twelve BJP MPs in the state are set to get cabinet positions in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new council of ministers.
The potential inclusion of Sukanta Majumdar hints at an imminent leadership change for the state unit. Aside from him, Shantanu Thakur, a former union minister, has also received calls to attend Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony, News18 has learnt.
“Sukanta Majumdar will continue as the state chief until the organisational election happens,” said a senior central leader of the BJP. “However, a change is on the anvil.”
The party’s diminished Bengal Lok Sabha tally, down by six, underscores the urgency for rejuvenation, having lost eight of its 18 seats while securing just two new ones, said a senior BJP leader.
In the last central cabinet, four Bengal BJP MPs were inducted as ministers of state. Thakur is the only one among them who has retained his Lok Sabha seat. Three others — Debashree Chaudhuri, Nisith Pramanik, and Subhas Sarkar — lost the polls.
‘Reshuffle’ in Bengal
The BJP traditionally does not allow a leader to hold two important positions — such as one in the government and another in the party’s organisation.
Ministers usually only hold positions of regular members or senior members in the national and state core committees.
However, G Kishan Reddy held two important positions, in government and the organisation, for some time.
“We have been told that the party may go through a massive reshuffle after the drubbing in the general elections. The upcoming assembly elections in 2026 will be very crucial for the BJP and the state. So, the central leaders are mulling a change in organisational responsibilities and structure. The turncoat leaders may face the churn as well,” said a senior BJP leader.
‘Party needs fresh face’
After the Lok Sabha election results were out on June 4, several voices from the Bengal BJP unit took to social media to register their protests. A senior BJP leader said that the party is going through chaos in Bengal.
“The leaders and party cadres are not even complying with the party discipline and minimum decorum. The state president would have got hold of all these, but he is not being successful in doing so,” he said. “Sukanta Majumdar is a decent individual, but he is not that politician who can have a command over the party and fight Trinamool Congress simultaneously. The party needs a fresh face, a fresh structure.”
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