With Durga Puja festivities over, West Bengal is shifting into election mode, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has begun mobilizing an unprecedented force to challenge the ruling Trinamool Congress.
According to party sources, more than 1,200 BJP leaders, including members of Parliament from across India, will be stationed in the state in the coming months to oversee campaign operations. The move signals a clear strategy by the central leadership to take direct control of Bengal’s election battle, sidelining much of the state unit.
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has been appointed chief election observer for Bengal, with former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb as his deputy. At the top of the chain of command will be Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is expected to spend seven to 10 days in Bengal every month starting in December. Party insiders said accommodations for Shah are being finalized in the Bidhannagar-New Town area.
The deployed leaders will conduct on-the-ground surveys, identify weak spots in BJP’s campaign, and coordinate messaging based on intelligence and survey reports. Each MP will be assigned responsibility for two assembly constituencies, supported by three to four senior leaders and 10–12 local workers. Special automated phone numbers will be generated for each constituency to coordinate outreach and monitor rival propaganda.
Once elections are announced, the party plans to appoint “page in-charges” for every page of the voter list. Each will oversee a small team tasked with maintaining direct, personal contact with voters until polling day, even without distributing party materials.
Despite the large-scale effort, political observers remain skeptical about the plan’s effectiveness. Some warn that too many leaders in the field could create confusion rather than unity. In the 2021 assembly election, the BJP campaigned aggressively but managed only 77 seats, far short of its goal of toppling Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Still, BJP leaders insist this time will be different. “The central leadership has set its sights firmly on Bengal,” a senior state leader said. “There is no question of compromise. Whatever needs to be done to win power will be done.”
