BJP to announce its Bengal chief on Thursday

Kolkata, July 1 (IANS) The BJP will name its state president for West Bengal on Thursday after elections for the post, if any, on the same day, according to a notification issued by party legislator Dipak Burman on Tuesday afternoon.

However, sources in the BJP's Bengal unit said that in all probability, the choice of the new state party president will be unanimous, and voting on the matter is most unlikely unless anyone from the floor decides at the last moment to file a nomination for the chair.

"The nomination process, as per the party's constitution, will be open for all. However, till now, the possibility of an election for the chair is most unlikely, and in all probability, the selection will be unanimous," said a state committee member of the BJP who refused to be named.

The submission, scrutiny, withdrawal of nominations and the publication of the final list of candidates will be completed on Wednesday only. Thereafter election, if any, will be completed on Thursday, following which the results and the name of the new BJP state president will be announced the same day.

However, in case there is no election for the chair with just one candidate in the line, it will be clear on Wednesday who will become the new state BJP president.

According to discussions among party leaders from the state, several names initially appeared. Currently, the names in discussion are limited to just two or three, with one of them being a party Rajya Sabha member.

The two-time BJP Lok Sabha member from Balurghat Lok Sabha constituency and the current Bengal BJP chief, Sukanta Majumdar, getting a berth in the Union ministry as a Minister of State has necessitated the selection of a new state president, since the party leadership follows the policy of "one person, one post".

Sukanta Majumdar became the West Bengal BJP chief, replacing former party Lok Sabha member Dilip Ghosh, after the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, as two consecutive terms of Ghosh in the chair of the organisational post in the state concluded.

--IANS

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