Bengal BJP Chief Race: Samik Bhattacharya Leads as New President Likely This Week

With less than a year to go for assembly elections, the BJP is all set to announce its new West Bengal president this week, amid intense lobbying, internal deliberations and factional negotiations within the saffron party's state unit.

The party's returning officer and MLA, Deepak Barman, issued a notification confirming the schedule, sparking speculations over who will take over the reins of the state unit ahead of the assembly polls in April-May next year.

Nomination for the Bengal BJP president's post will be accepted on Wednesday, followed by scrutiny and withdrawal on the same day. The final list of candidates will be released at 6 pm, according to the notification.

"If more than one candidate remains in the fray, voting will take place on Thursday from 12 noon, and the results will be declared by 1.30 pm," a senior BJP functionary told PTI.

However, several party leaders maintained that the process is mostly a formality and a consensus candidate chosen by the central leadership is likely to be named without a contest.

A section within the party has pitched for a seasoned leader, and one name gaining currency is that of BJP Rajya Sabha MP and senior leader Samik Bhattacharya. His sudden and formal visit to BJP national president J.P. Nadda's residence in Delhi on Monday has added to the speculations.

"There are reports that he was invited through official channels and held a meeting with Nadda in the presence of senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is overseeing the Bengal BJP president election process," a party insider told PTI. "It cannot be seen as a coincidence."

Although Bhattacharya maintained his meeting with Nadda was to brief him about the recently concluded parliamentary delegation visit post-Operation Sindoor, sources hinted that his name may be the sole nomination submitted in a sealed envelope on Tuesday, indicating a possible consensus candidate.