Costs Of Compromise

With the induction of tainted leaders from the Trinamool, the BJP’s war on corruption suffers a setback

- Rabi Banerjee

The headquarters OF the BJP’s West Bengal unit is located on Murlidhar Sen Lane, a narrow road off Kolkata’s Chittaranjan Avenue. A part of Kolkata’s heritage zone, the road is not wide enough for big cars to enter. Senior BJP leaders often give it a miss when they visit Kolkata, although the iconic building houses the offices of state BJP president Dilip Ghosh and the party’s election in-charge Mukul Roy.

But the BJP’s unprecedented success in the Lok Sabha elections has changed things dramatically. With the party winning 18 of 42 seats in the state, the party headquarters wears a busy look these days. The state unit’s voice is now heard in Delhi more than ever before. A new, spacious office with modern facilities is being built on Hare Street in the western part of the city.

“Come 2021, barring a big mistake by the BJP, the party is poised to take the chief ministerial seat away from Mamata Banerjee,” said an academic from Calcutta University. “I can tell you the rush at the party headquarters is not just because the BJP is in power in Delhi.” The BJP has been attracting members from diverse backgrounds, including the Tollygunge film fraternity. It has cells among government employees, teachers’ associations and even among Durga Puja committees, usually dominated by the party in power in Kolkata.