BJP set to name Shamik Bhattacharya as West Bengal president
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Kolkata: With less than a year to go for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections , the BJP's Bengal unit is set to announce its new state president on Thursday, following the nomination process on Wednesday.'There has been only one nomination, and no other submission was made. Each nomination must be seconded by at least ten members. The only nomination received is that of Shamik Bhattacharya . The name of the new state president will be officially announced tomorrow by senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad,' said outgoing state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar during his final press conference in the role.Majumdar, a professor of botany and two-time MP from Balurghat, took over as state president in September 2021, succeeding Dilip Ghosh.Describing the transition as a 'relay race' where the baton must be passed on, Majumdar said: 'I've seen both the best and the worst of times during my tenure — and I welcomed both. The highlight was winning the Balurghat seat for the second time in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.'This week, amid intense lobbying, internal deliberations, and factional negotiations, the nomination process was completed. BJP MLA and returning officer Deepak Barman issued a formal notification for the election schedule.According to the party, the nomination, scrutiny, and withdrawal phases were completed on Wednesday, and the final candidate list will be released at 6 p.m. However, several party leaders indicated the process was largely a formality, with the central leadership having already selected a consensus candidate.Party sources confirmed that BJP Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya is the consensus pick. His recent formal visit to BJP national president J.P. Nadda's residence in Delhi on Monday fueled further speculation.'The election and felicitation ceremony for the new state president will be held at Science City tomorrow, where the names of the State Council members will also be announced in the presence of State Election Officer Ravi Shankar Prasad,' BJP sources added.Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also confirmed the impending announcement. 'The name of the new state president will be declared tomorrow. We are preparing to fight the 2026 assembly polls,' he said.Meanwhile, the Sangathan Parv of BJP West Bengal reached its final stage on Wednesday. In the concluding phase, 60 karyakartas submitted their nominations at the party's state headquarters to become members of the National Council. All nominations were accepted, party sources said.
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