Eye on Lok Sabha polls, Bengal BJP widens network: Ruling party to set up bigger offices in districts

Seven senior Bengal BJP leaders, including state president Samik Bhattacharya and Bengal minder Sunil Bansal, on Tuesday took part in bhoomi pujan events to lay the foundation stones for bigger party offices in seven organisational districts.

BJP sources said that the party wanted to build the new offices as soon as possible, keeping an eye on the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, in which Bengal’s contribution could play a key role in helping Narendra Modi form a fourth government at the Centre.

Bhattacharya and Bansal attended bhoomi pujan events in the Howrah rural and Asansol organisational districts, respectively, while the party’s state general secretary (organisation), Amitava Chakraborty, attended a similar event in Chinsurah, Hooghly.

Union minister of state Sukanta Majumdar, Rajya Sabha MP Rahul Sinha, state general secretary Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato and vice-president Ramapada Das attended the ceremonies for new party offices in the Barrackpore, Kolkata north suburban, Jhargram and Behrampore organisational districts, respectively.

“Land (the plots) was purchased a few years ago, but work on setting up new party offices was halted because of the elections. Now that the BJP is in power in Bengal, it has been growing every day. So, we need better offices in the districts,” BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya told The Telegraph.

“This is not just for seven organisational districts. We will have new party offices in all 43 organisational districts. The work will start very soon,” Bhattacharya, also a Rajya Sabha member, said.

Party sources said the national leadership had recognised the need for bigger district offices years ago, after the BJP won 18 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal in 2019, signalling its rise in eastern India’s most politically significant state. Land for the proposed offices had, therefore, already been purchased.

Although the BJP has existing offices in all its organisational districts, these are no longer adequate for the party’s expanded organisational activities.

Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari and Bhattacharya have both announced that the BJP aimed to win all Bengal Lok Sabha seats in 2029. Bengal’s existing number of Lok Sabha seats is 42. If the proposed delimitation bill is passed, the number could rise to 60.

A BJP source said each new party office would be a five-storey building equipped with modern facilities, large meeting halls, rooms for party wings and for senior leaders.

Shah’s Puja visit

Union home minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Bengal for two days during Durga Puja from October 17. Shah is likely to reach Calcutta on October 17 night and visit Belur Math the next day, a source said. He is also likely to visit one or two Durga Puja pandals in Calcutta.