BJP plans leadership change in key states

NEW DELHI: The BJP may go for leadership changes in states in which it did well in the recent parliamentary elections and sees an opportunity to emerge stronger still in forthcoming assembly elections, two leaders of the ruling party said.

The BJP is currently holding its organisational election and state presidents will elected between October and November before the national president of the party is chosen in December.

The BJP did well in states such as West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana, among others, in the April-may parliamentary election and the party believes there is scope for further improvement in these regions.

“We need energetic leadership in these states to translate the Lok Sabha gain into victory in the assembly election,” the first leader quoted above said.

“While our present leadership in such states has worked hard to expand the party, we may need new leadership to take the party forward from where it now,” the second leader said.

While the BJP attaches more importance to a pro-narendra Modi sentiment for the party’s impressive show in these states, it expects that changing political dynamics in these states may be crucial in the assembly elections.

“We need someone who can take on Mamata Banerjee in Bengal more aggressively,” the first leader said. “With Naveen Patnaik getting older, there could be a scope for BJP in Odisha.” Assembly elections are due in Bengal in 2021, in Telengana in 2023 and in Odisha in 2024. The BJP improved its vote share from 17% to 40% in Bengal between 2014 and 2019, and increased its seat tally from 2 to 18.

The BJP will aim to end the Trinamool Congress’s rule in the 2021 assembly election. “The difference in vote share of the BJP and the Trinamool Congress is about 3%. We are in a situation where the BJP may actually come to power in Bengal,” the second leader said. The BJP’S vote share also increased from 22% to 38% and seats from 1 to 8 in Odisha between two parliamentary elections. It won 4 parliamentary seats in Telangana with a vote share of 19.5%, against its 2014 performance of 1 seat with a vote share of 10.5%. The BJP also has to find new chiefs in Bihar, TN and Rajasthan.

Congress spokesman Pranav Jha said there are states where BJP has made inroads with constitutional or mandate subversion. And there are others where it is in direct fight with the Congress, we defeated them in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh and gave them a run for their money in Gujarat during state elections.