The Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, once fiercely divided over the ‘insider-outsider’ narrative, appears to be undergoing a silent but strategic recalibration. The party that once vociferously championed its ‘original’ cadres is now increasingly relying on leaders who migrated from other political camps — particularly those with Leftist roots — to mend its internal structure and revive ground-level momentum ahead of the state's next electoral battle in 2026.
Once viewed with suspicion, the so-called ‘outsiders’ are now gradually taking control of critical organisational operations. Amid the BJP's ongoing “My Booth, the Strongest” (Booth Sashaktikaran) campaign, aimed at reinforcing grassroots connectivity, it is these very 'newcomers' who are leading the charge— and doing so with an understated but deliberate grip.
At the heart of this transformation is Prabal Raha, a political operative with a storied past in Bengal’s Left circles. Formerly the personal secretary to Forward Bloc stalwart and ex-Agriculture Minister Kamal Guha, Prabal joined the BJP in 2017 under the influence of Mukul Roy — now politically disengaged. Despite Roy's departure, Prabal’s stock has only risen within the BJP. Known for his quiet efficiency and ability to stay out of the limelight, he now heads the very campaign that the party deems vital in its pre-election strategy.
Notably, several members of the committee steering the booth-level initiative also come from non-BJP backgrounds. Shashi Agnihotri, another Forward Bloc veteran, and Anupam Ghosh, a former Congress member, are prominent among them. While Anupam’s Congress background doesn’t offer much direct relevance to BJP’s organisational ethos, party sources insist that his inclusion reflects qualities such as “patience” and “stability”— traits the leadership finds valuable in the current climate of introspection and regrouping.
However, critics within the party are not entirely convinced by these explanations. Many see a more deliberate shift—a quiet but clear sidelining of the party’s ‘original’ faces in favor of newcomers with proven organisational mettle, particularly those shaped by Bengal’s historically robust Left ecosystem.
The pattern is evident. Shankar Ghosh, a former CPM youth leader turned BJP MLA from Siliguri, has recently been elevated to the position of Chief Whip in the assembly following Manoj Tigga’s resignation. Krishnendu Mukherjee, who transitioned from Forward Bloc to Trinamool Congress and finally to the BJP, now holds the key role of organisational convener for North 24 Parganas — one of the most politically sensitive districts.
This reorientation isn’t confined to booth-level strategies. A separate campaign, designed to showcase the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over the last 11 years, is also being managed by a committee stacked with ‘outsiders’. While Purulia MP Jyotirmoy Mahato officially heads the initiative, the operational responsibility rests with Shashi Agnihotri, Anupam Ghosh and Raiganj’s Shankar Chakraborty, another former Congressman turned BJP loyalist.
Party insiders admit — albeit unofficially — that the dismal outcomes of the 2021 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections have significantly altered internal equations. A once emboldened core that anticipated an imminent rise to power has been forced into quiet reflection. “Many of those who were overly eager to dominate the internal narrative have now stepped back,” said a senior member of BJP's state committee, adding, “The hubris is gone. Now, performance and patience matter more than legacy or lineage.”
The BJP’s top brass remains tight-lipped about the growing influence of former Leftists within its Bengal unit. Those like Prabal Raha prefer to downplay the optics. “I have seen the rise and fall of the so-called ‘invincible’ Left organisation. Even they built their base only after coming to power in 1977,” Prabal said, adding pointedly, “The BJP today, even as an opposition, has a deeper booth-level structure than Trinamool had before coming to power.”
Whether this slow but significant reshuffle will yield results in the next political test remains uncertain. But one thing is clear: the Bengal BJP is no longer waging a war over ‘outsiders’ and ‘originals’. It is, instead, placing quiet trust in organisational pedigree—even if that pedigree was forged under the red flag of its former ideological enemies.
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