Set house in order to save Bengal BJP from existential crisis, says senior leader

BJP national secretary Anupam Hazra on Monday asked the party's infighting-affected West Bengal unit to set its house in order by identifying its lacunas or else its existence will be in crisis in the state.

Hazra, who had lashed out at the state unit following the party's drubbing in the by-elections to Asansol Lok Sabha constituency and Ballygunge Assembly seat on Saturday, said instead of pretending ''everything is alright'', the leadership should take steps to solve the issues.

The internal bickering within the BJP's state unit came to the fore after the TMC's Asansol candidate, Bollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha, steamrolled the BJP's Agnimitra Paul by over 3,00,000 votes. Former Union minister Babul Supriyo won the Ballygunge seat in Kolkata defeating the CPI(M) nominee by a margin of 20,228 votes. The saffron party candidate came third there.

Hazra said, ''If the problem is not discussed, how will you rectify your mistakes? If you can't tolerate criticism, your existence will be in crisis. If you always say 'All is well,' how will you solve the problems?'' BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said the state leadership should take everybody along and work as a united force to fight against the alleged misrule of the TMC.

''I too was a state president and had worked unitedly for the party's growth. Now we cannot win elections, so we need to take everybody along and resolve our problems. If there is any problem regarding our approach or policy that should be corrected,'' he said.

BJP MP Saumitra Khan, who had recently said the by-poll defeats were on expected lines as the state unit is being led by ''inexperienced leaders bereft of any political maturity'', on Monday claimed that the Bengal unit is ''suffering from a disease and is in dire need of medicines from Delhi (central leadership)''.

Reacting to these statements, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said everyone should abide by the party discipline.

''If anyone has grievances or suggestions, the person can always place them at the party forum, instead of airing them in public,'' he said.

The ruling TMC mocked the state BJP for failing to settle its inner differences. ''The Bengal BJP unit cannot settle its differences but is dreaming of unseating the TMC from power. They should first resolve their own problems,'' TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.