Bharatiya Janata Party – West Bengal

===Predecessors and formation===

The origins of the BJP lies in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Syama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of the BJS, was born in Calcutta (Now Kolkata), while K. B. Hedgewar, the founder of the RSS also studied in the city. In the 1960s, plenty of RSS offices opened across the state. They mostly worked with Marwari traders as well as migrants from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, in Kolkata’s Burrabazar. By late 1960s, local meetings were conducted in Bengali as well.{{Cite news |last=Gupta |first=Smita |date=2019-05-15 |title=The rise of the BJP in West Bengal |url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-rise-of-the-bjp-in-west-bengal/article27140846.ece |access-date=2024-10-20 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}

{{bar box

|float=right

|title= {{color|white|Vote share in consecutive assembly elections}}

|titlebar= blue

|width=300px

|barwidth=275px

|bars=

{{bar percent|2021|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|38.14}}

{{bar percent|2016|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|10.16}}

{{bar percent|2011|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|6.52}}

{{bar percent|2006|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|1.93}}

{{bar percent|2001|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|5.19}}

{{bar percent|1996|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|6.45}}

{{bar percent|1991|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|11.34}}

{{bar percent|1987|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|0.51}}

{{bar percent|1982|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|0.58}}

}}

{{bar box

|float=right

|title= {{color|white|Vote share in consecutive Lok Sabha elections}}

|titlebar= blue

|width=300px

|barwidth=275px

|bars=

{{bar percent|2024|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|38.73}}

{{bar percent|2019|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|40.25}}

{{bar percent|2014|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|17.02}}

{{bar percent|2009|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|6.14}}

{{bar percent|2004|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|8.06}}

{{bar percent|1999|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|11.13}}

{{bar percent|1998|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|10.2}}

{{bar percent|1996|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|6.88}}

{{bar percent|1991|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|11.66}}

{{bar percent|1989|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|1.67}}

{{bar percent|1984|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}|0.4}}

|border_width=2|style=|background-color=Light orange}}

The BJP started its operation within the state from the grassroots level of governance, particularly the panchayat politics. The party also used various cultural icons in the state, including Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Swami Vivekananda in its election campaigns.

The Bharatiya Janata Party contested the West Bengal assembly election for the first time in 1982.{{cite book|author=Pratap Chandra Swain|title=Bharatiya Janata Party: Profile and Performance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7Gk1Wz4k_xUC&pg=PA194|year=2001|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-81-7648-257-8|page=194}} The primary objective of the party was to create a nucleus for a future third force in West Bengal politics. The party supported the call of the West Bengal government to hold the elections in March 1982.{{cite book|title=The Annual Register of Indian Political Parties|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jKkkAQAAIAAJ|year=1982|publisher=Michiko & Panjathan|page=108}} The party contested on 52 assembly constituencies and got around 129,994 votes in the state.

In 1984 Lok Sabha election, BJP contested on 9 seats and got 101165 (0.4%) votes in West Bengal.{{cite web |title=General Election, 1984 (Vol I, II) |url=https://eci.gov.in/files/file/4118-general-election-1984-vol-i-ii/ |website=eci.gov.in |publisher=Election Commission of India |access-date=2 October 2023}}

In the 1987 the party contested on 57 constituencies and slightly increased its votes to 134,867.{{cite web |title=West Bengal 1987 |url=https://eci.gov.in/files/file/3190-west-bengal-1987/ |website=eci.gov.in |publisher=Election Commission of India |access-date=2 October 2023}}

In 1989 Lok Sabha election, BJP contested on 19 seats and got 529618 (1.67%) votes in West Bengal.{{cite web |title=General Election, 1989 (Vol I, II) |url=https://eci.gov.in/files/file/4120-general-election-1989-vol-i-ii/ |website=eci.gov.in |publisher=Election Commission of India |access-date=2 October 2023}}

The Bharatiya Janata Party fielded 291 candidates across the state in 1991 Vidhan Sabha election, and managed to increase its share of votes from 0.51% in 1987 to 11.34% (3,513,121 votes).Election Commission of India. [http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1991/StatisticalReport-West%20Bengal91.pdf Statistical Report on General Election, 1991 to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal] This was the first time BJP fielded such a large number of candidates in West Bengal assembly elections. The party also fielded 42 candidates for the 1991 Lok Sabha election which took place simultaneously with the Vidhan Sabha election. The BJP got 3624974 (11.66%) votes in this election. Rather than focusing primarily on the Ayodhya issue, which was highlighted in the BJP campaigns across the country, the West Bengal BJP campaign concentrated on agitations against immigration from Bangladesh.{{cite book|author=Christophe Jaffrelot|title=The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics: 1925 to the 1990s : Strategies of Identity-building, Implantation and Mobilisation (with Special Reference to Central India)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iVsfVOTUnYEC&pg=PA441|year=1999|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-024602-5|page=441}} The campaign sought to invoke Bengali memories of Partition. While support for BJP increased among Bengali communities, its main stronghold in the state remained non-Bengali populations in Calcutta (Marwaris and Gujaratis). Besides this, the party was able to mobilize the rural voters who were not benefitted from Left government’s land reforms.{{Cite journal |last=Hussain |first=Md. Iftekhar |date=2023 |title=The rise of the BJP in West Bengal: A study of Lok Shaba and assembly election. |url=https://www.journalofpoliticalscience.com/uploads/archives/5-1-10-718.pdf |journal=International Journal Political Science Governance}}

In 1996, both Assembly election and Lok Sabha election took place simultaneously, the party contested on 292 assembly constituencies and got 2,372,480 (6.45%) votesElection Commission of India. [http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1996/StatisticalReport-WB96.pdf Statistical Report on General Election, 1996 to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal] and contested 42 Lok Sabha seats and got 2525864 (6.88%) votes across the state.{{cite news |url =https://eci.gov.in/files/file/4123-general-election-1996-vol-i-ii/|title =General Election, 1996 (Vol I, II)|publisher =Election Commission of India|website =eci.gov.in|access-date =25 April 2020}}

In 1998, the BJP contested on 14 seats and won 1 Lok Sabha seat for the first time in West Bengal from Dum Dum. It got 3724662 (10.2%) votes.{{cite news |url =https://eci.gov.in/files/file/4124-general-election-1998-vol-i-ii/|title =General Election, 1998 (Vol I, II)|publisher =Election Commission of India|website =eci.gov.in}} Tapan Sikdar, who was serving as the West Bengal State President of BJP, won the Dum Dum constituency with 631,383 (50.7%) votes defeating nearest rival Nirmal Kanti Chatterjee of the CPI (M).{{cite web|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/LS_1998/Vol_I_LS_98.pdf |title=General Elections, 1998 - Constituency Wise Detailed Results |work=West Bengal |publisher=Election Commission of India |access-date=25 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718181833/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/LS_1998/Vol_I_LS_98.pdf |archive-date=18 July 2014 }}

In 1999, the BJP in an alliance with All India Trinamool Congress contested 13 seats and won 2 Lok Sabha seats and got 3,928,424 votes (11.13).{{cite web |url =https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=1517|title =General Elections 1999 – Overview of West Bengal : General Elections-2004 |publisher =Press Information Bureau|access-date =25 April 2020 }} The two elected Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha were Satyabrata Mookherjee from Krishnanagar with 43.82% votes and Tapan Sikdar from Dum Dum with 51.59% votes.{{cite web|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/LS_1999/Vol_I_LS_99.pdf |title=General Elections, 1999 - Constituency Wise Detailed Results |work=West Bengal |publisher=Election Commission of India |access-date=25 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718183222/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/LS_1999/Vol_I_LS_99.pdf |archive-date=18 July 2014 }}

In 2001 Assembly election, BJP contested on 266 constituencies and got 1901351 (5.19%) votes throughout the state and 5.68% in seats contested.{{cite web |url =https://eci.gov.in/files/file/3193-west-bengal-2001/|title =West Bengal 2001|publisher =Election Commission of India|website =eci.gov.in|access-date =25 April 2020}}

In the 2004 Indian general election, the National Democratic Alliance was completely decimated by CPI (M) led Left Front and INC led United Progressive Alliance. The BJP didn't win a single seat and its ally All India Trinamool Congress was reduced to just 1 Lok Sabha seat.{{cite news |url =https://m.rediff.com/election/2004/may/14mamata.htm|title =Why did the NDA lose West Bengal?|publisher =rediff|date =14 May 2004|access-date =24 April 2020}} The BJP however managed to get 2983950 (8.06%) votes.{{cite news |url =https://eci.gov.in/files/file/4126-general-election-2004-vol-i-ii-iii/|title =General Election, 2004 (Vol I, II, III)|publisher =Election Commission of India|website =eci.gov.in|access-date =25 April 2020 }}

In the 2006 Assembly election, BJP entered into an alliance with the All India Trinamool Congress and contested on 29 constituencies. The BJP got 760236 (1.93%) votes throughout West Bengal and 19.89% on seats it contested.{{cite web

|url = http://www.eci.gov.in/May2006/index_st.htm

|title = Election Commission of India - State Elections 2006: Partywise position in West Bengal

|publisher = Election Commission of India

|access-date = 23 May 2006

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060523060020/http://www.eci.gov.in/May2006/index_st.htm

|archive-date = 23 May 2006

|url-status = dead

}}

In 2009 Indian general election, BJP candidate Jaswant Singh, with support from Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat getting a total of 4,97,649 (51.50%) votes. Across the state BJP got only 6.14% votes.{{cite web |title=IndiaVotes PC: West Bengal 2009 |url=https://www.indiavotes.com/lok-sabha/2009/west-bengal/15/9 |website=IndiaVotes |publisher=India Votes Database}}

In 2011 Legislative Assembly election the BJP allied with GJM.{{cite news |title=GJM backing both BJP and Congress-Trinamul alliance |url=http://archive.asianage.com/india/gjm-backing-both-bjp-and-congress-trinamul-alliance-505 |work=The Asian Age |date=9 April 2011 |language=en}}

In 2014 Indian general election the BJP won only 2 seats. BJP candidates for the first time, returned runner-up in 3 seats and got 17.2% vote share throughout the state. This performance was better than BJP's previous best of 11.66% in 1991 elections. However the All India Trinamool Congress dominated the election winning 34 seats.{{Cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-the-rise-of-bjp-in-west-bengal-1989376|title=The rise of BJP in West Bengal {{!}} Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis|date=17 May 2014|newspaper=dna|language=en-US|access-date=5 January 2017}}

In 2016 Assembly election the BJP in an alliance with GJM contested 291 seats and got 5,555,134 (10.16%) votes and created history by winning 3 assembly seats for the first time.{{cite web | url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/west-bengal/after-sweeping-polls-in-west-bengal-tmcs-legislative-party-to-meet-in-kolkata-today_1887311.html | title=It's 'Mamata wave' in West Bengal as voters reject Congress-Left alliance | publisher=Zee News | work=Ritesh K Srivastava | date=20 May 2016 | access-date=20 May 2016}}

There was a major political shift from the left to the right in the 2019 Lok Sabha election in West Bengal. The Bharatiya Janata Party, won 18 Lok Sabha seats out of the 42 constituencies with 23,028,343 (40.25%) votes. On 24 May 2019, The Statesman reported that BJP had made CPI-M a marginalised party and setting a strong challenge to the ruling Trinamool Congress.{{cite web | url = https://www.thestatesman.com/cities/kolkata/west-bengal-election-results-2019-left-veers-political-oblivion-1502758472.html | title = West Bengal election results 2019: left veers into political oblivion | date = 24 May 2019 | publisher = The Statesman, 24 May 2019 | access-date = 30 May 2019}} The shift in the voting pattern was seen across the state.{{cite news | url = https://www.thehindu.com/elections/lok-sabha-2019/analysis-in-west-bengal-lefts-vote-drop-will-benefit-bjp-but-to-what-extent/article27214640.ece | title = Analysis: In West Bengal, Left's vote-reduction will benefit BJP but to what extent? | newspaper = The Hindu | date = 23 May 2019 | publisher = The Hindu 23 May 2018 | access-date = 30 May 2019| last1 = Bagchi | first1 = Suvojit }}

After the election the Government of India passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) in the Parliament, allowing a quicker route to citizenship to non Muslim immigrants from neighbouring countries. The party hoped to benefit from the votes of the Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh.Romita Datta, [https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/why-no-one-will-douse-the-caa-fire-in-bengal-1635533-2020-01-10 Why no one will douse the CAA fire in Bengal], India Today, 10 January 2020

Kaushik Deka, [https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20200120-who-is-not-a-citizen-1635189-2020-01-10 Who is (not) a citizen?], India Today, 10 January 2020

The BJP's Bengali booklet released in January 2020 claimed that the National Register of Citizens will be implemented to identify any undocumented migrants including Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and non-Muslims by the Citizenship Amendment Act.[https://scroll.in/latest/949007/nationwide-nrc-in-pipeline-says-bjps-bengali-booklet-on-citizenship-law Amended citizenship law will shield Hindus when NRC will be rolled out, says BJP's Bengali booklet], Scroll, 7 January 2020[https://indianexpress.com/article/india/nrc-next-says-bjps-bengali-booklet-on-caa/ NRC next, says BJP's Bengali booklet on CAA], The Indian Express, 7 January 2020

The West Bengal BJP has one president, twelve vice-presidents and five general secretaries & twelve secretaries.{{cite news |url =https://zeenews.india.com/india/major-reshuffle-in-west-bengal-bjp-unit-chandra-bose-shunted-out-2287362.html|title =Major reshuffle in West Bengal BJP unit, Chandra Bose shunted out|publisher =Zee News|location =Kolkata|date =1 June 2020|website =zeenews.india.com|author =Pooja Mehta|access-date =2 June 2020}} As of September 2021, the President of the West Bengal state branch of the party is Dr. Sukanta Majumder.

Dilip Ghosh is most successful president.During his leadership party gain 18 MP in 2019 lok sabha election. And in 2021 Vidhan sabha election party gain 77 MLA.

{{About|the chronological List of State Presidents of Bharatiya Janata Party for West Bengal|List of All India Presidents|List of presidents of the Bharatiya Janata Party}}

• Bharatiya Janata Party, Kerala
• Bharatiya Janata Party, Gujarat
• Bharatiya Janata Party, Uttar Pradesh
• Bharatiya Janata Party, Madhya Pradesh
• Bharatiya Janata Party, Bihar
• Bharatiya Janata Party, Chhattisgarh
• Bharatiya Janata Party, Odisha
• State units of the Bharatiya Janata Party
• Communist Party of India (Marxist), West Bengal
• West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite journal |last1 = Malik |first1 = Yogendra K. |last2 = Singh |first2 = V.B. |title = Bharatiya Janata Party: An Alternative to the Congress (I)? |journal = Asian Survey |date = April 1992 |volume = 32 |issue = 4 |pages = 318–336 |jstor = 2645149 |doi = 10.2307/2645149}}
• {{cite journal |last1 = Banerjee |first1 = Sumanta |title = Civilising the BJP |journal = Economic & Political Weekly |date = 22 July 2005 |volume = 40 |issue = 29 |pages = 3116–3119 |jstor = 4416896 }}
• {{cite news |first = Samar |last = Halarnkar |title = Narendra Modi makes his move |work = BBC News |date = 13 June 2012 |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-18352532 |quote = The right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India's primary opposition party |ref = {{harvid |BBC |2012}} }}

• {{official website|https://bjpbengal.org/}}

West Bengal

Category:West Bengal-related lists