West Bengal BJP expels Howrah unit chief for 'breaching organisational discipline'

The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) West Bengal unit expelled the party's Howrah Sadar district president Surajit Saha for "breaching organisational discipline". At the behest of state party president Sukanta Majumdar, the party released a notice on Wednesday stating that Saha had been expelled immediately after defying organisational discipline. 

The party's action came after a video of Surajit Saha went viral in which the expelled leader was seen making comments against the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari. 

West Bengal BJP expels Howrah unit president

"At the behest of Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, President, BJP West Bengal and Member of Parliament, you are hereby expelled from the party with immediate effect for breaching organisational discipline," the BJP wrote in a notice sent to Saha.

In the viral video, Saha said, “BJP cadres don’t need a certificate from Suvendu Adhikari to know who are the real BJP cadres as he has been in the party for only six months." As the feud emerged out in open it is being speculated that there might be trouble brewing within the Bengal BJP.  A few months before the stare's Assembly elections, former TMC Leader Suvendu Adhikari switched had defected to the BJP.

Notably, Saha's expulsion comes at a time West Bengal is gearing up for civic polls. The West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) has accepted the state government's proposal to organise pending civic polls, including in Kolkata and Howrah. Elections will be held for 112 municipalities and corporations in two to three steps starting December.   

'Deep rot and malaise in TMC': Suvendu Adhikari after joining BJP

On December 17, last year, Suvendu Adhikari officially quit the Trinamool Congress and joined the BJP in presence of then BJP chief Amit Shah. In his letter after resignation, Adhikari blamed the sidelining of leaders and said that TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had betrayed party ideals. He alleged that a "deep rot and malaise" had set in the party, and asserted that "individuals in charge of the party currently are treating it as their personal fiefdom."

In an apparent dig at poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who was in charge of TMC's 2021 poll campaign, Adhikari had said that those who have no idea about the sacrifices of the party are being hired to assist the party.

It should be mentioned that Adhikari, who played an important role in the 2007 Nandigram agitation, holds significant influence in about 35 Assembly constituencies in West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and Birbhum districts. Adhikari won the Nandigram seat defeating West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with a margin of 1,737 votes from the Nandigram constituency.

(With inputs from ANI)