BJP’s Bengal infighting: 100 days in power, still blaming 'TMC elements?

From Kolkata’s Entally to Manteswar in East Bardhaman, Dinhata in Cooch Behar and Shalimar in Howrah, a string of violent disputes involving BJP workers has exposed the ruling party’s internal fault lines in West Bengal. More than 100 days into the its tenure, the incidents are raising uncomfortable questions about discipline, leadership and the party’s ability to control its ranks — especially when its response is still to blame alleged former Trinamool Congress members or 'TMC elements' for the trouble.

The question was brought into sharp focus on the night of Independence Day, 15 August, at Kolkata's Entally police station, where a factional dispute reportedly brought police operations to a standstill for several hours.

The trouble began at a midnight Independence Day programme organised by local BJP leader and government lawyer Dilip Ram in the Vaishali area of Tangra. Ram alleged that around 150 to 200 supporters of fellow BJP leader and lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal arrived and questioned why Tibrewal had not been invited.

According to Ram, the group then "stormed the stage", creating chaos and damaging chairs and the stage while assaulting workers from his faction. Tibrewal’s camp has made counter-allegations and denied responsibility for the violence. Ram said, "The police's role was unsatisfactory; although they detained a few individuals under pressure, they released them shortly after taking them away."

The dispute soon moved from the event to the police station. Ram’s supporters allegedly went to Entally police station after claiming that an event organised by their faction in Padmapukur had also been attacked, with banners and photographs torn down.

Police sources said protesters blocked the station’s main and rear gates, preventing officers and members of the public from entering or leaving. The road outside was also reportedly blocked, creating a long line of traffic. Police personnel allegedly faced misbehaviour and harassment, while female officers were also said to have been manhandled.

Senior officers from Lalbazar eventually arrived. The protest continued until around 5.00 am before the gate was opened after assurances that the grievances would be examined. Ram, however, rejected the allegation that his supporters had locked the station. "The police had locked it," he claimed, while denying that his supporters had harassed officers. Asked how a government-panel lawyer could justify blocking a police station, Ram replied, "I know the law. I have done nothing outside the law."

Tibrewal said she did not support illegal activity, alleging that "anti-social elements" had been brought to the Tangra event and said local BJP workers had protested against them. She also accused Dilip Ram of moving around the area with "anti-social elements" and engaging in extortion.

The incident is particularly embarrassing because the state leadership has repeatedly promised a firm response to attacks on the police. While introducing draconian 'anti-goonda' legislation in the Assembly last month, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said, "The time has come to bring the police out from under the table and put the goons there instead."

The same pattern of infighting has surfaced outside Kolkata.

In Manteswar, BJP MLA Saikat Panja’s car was reportedly surrounded and vandalised during a protest by a rival faction. Police eventually rescued the MLA after the confrontation continued for several hours. "I was attacked and harassed the moment I arrived after hearing reports of unrest among the party workers," Panja said.

The rival faction, led by former Yuva Morcha leader Chinmoy Roy, accused Panja’s camp of first attacking its members. Roy claimed his supporters were assaulted even while travelling to the police station.

In Dinhata-II, a bomb attack was allegedly carried out outside the home of BJP panchayat member Parul Roy Sarkar shortly before the formation of the Sahebganj gram panchayat board. She claimed that "two bombs" had been left outside her house. An alleged rival, Madan Barman, denied the accusation.

In Howrah’s Shalimar area, another BJP dispute reportedly turned violent over a temporary shop near a railway gate. Diwakar Chowdhury, a mandal vice-president, was seriously injured and is receiving treatment. Both sides have filed police complaints, with competing allegations of assault, threats and illegal occupation.

BJP leaders insist that these incidents do not represent the party as a whole. Howrah Sadar secretary Omprakash Singh argued that former TMC members were attempting to "sow discord" by entering the BJP "through the back door".

But that defence raises the rather difficult question: after more than 100 days in power, why is the BJP still attributing violence within its organisation to supposed TMC elements?

The issue is not simply who may have entered the BJP from the TMC. It is whether the ruling party has the organisational discipline to prevent factional disputes from turning violent — and whether its leadership is willing to take responsibility when they do.

The BJP now appears ready to act. More than 12 district presidents could be replaced, while over 200 mandal presidents are also expected to lose their positions. The party is also considering denying municipal election tickets to recent entrants, particularly former TMC leaders accused of trying to dominate local organisation.

Training camps are scheduled across Bengal from 22 to 30 August, with senior leaders including Shiv Prakash and state observer Sunil Bansal expected to attend. The restructuring of district organisations is reportedly due to begin afterwards, with the replacement of district presidents targeted for completion by 15 September.

After more than 100 days in government, blaming 'TMC elements' for internal ruptures is beginning to look less like explanation and more like evasion.