Kolkata: With BJP failing to unseat Mamata Banerjee in recently concluded West Bengal assembly polls, RSS has silently replaced the face of the head of its state unit. The state in-charge Pradip Joshi has been silently removed and replaced by a Bengali, Ramapada Pal. It is after years that the West Bengal unit of RSS gets a Bengal face as it’s in- charge.
Now as the instructions of RSS, BJP is all set to bring about a major reshuffle in the party’s state organizational leadership by September end i.e. before the forthcoming festive season in the state. It is expected that the new RSS in- charge of West Bengal, Ramapada Pal will play an important role in that reshuffle. BJP sources said that clear instructions have come from RSS top brass to BJP’s state leadership that Pal’s suggestions should be given importance while implementing the rejig.
Recently, BJP’s state president, Dilip Ghosh had a series of meetings with the RSS leadership in New Delhi. During those meetings, it was decided the reshuffle should be implemented before the forthcoming festive season. Needless to say that this reshuffle will be done keeping in mind the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
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When contacted Ghosh confirmed that there will be some reshuffle in the organizational network. “Such reshuffles take place throughout the year. This time the reshuffle was delayed first because of the pandemic and then because of the polls. The party leadership both at the central and state conduct meetings and then implement the organizational reshuffle. This will be done in West Bengal as well,” he said.
Currently, BJP’s state unit has five general secretaries, out of which a couple of faces might be replaced. Similarly, there will be reshuffle at the secretary levels. The state units of the party farmers’ and youth front might get new faces as in-charge.
BJP’s West Bengal unit currently has 38 organizational districts. BJP sources said that some of these district presidents might be replaced. “These changes will be mainly in those districts in the red category like Kolkata North, Kolkata South, Hooghly and South 24 Parganas, where BJP’s performance was worst in the last West Bengal assembly polls,” a senior BJP leader said.
He also said that people did not approve of those leaders who shifted to Trinamool from BJP. So it was decided that no leader shifting from Trinamool will be given important organizational posts barring exceptions like leader of the opposition, Suvendu Adhikari and Mihir Goswami. “Clear instructions have come from Nagpur that the influence of RSS in the party’s state organization has to be increased and more RSS hardliners will have to be included in important organizational posts,” the BJP leader said.
