BJP president learns Bengali as party targets West Bengal

Kolkata, The BJP has set its sights on the state Assembly elections scheduled to be held in 2016 following its splendid showing in the recent general elections (Lok Sabha) in West Bengal.
The newly appointed party president has even appointed a teacher to learn Bengali. Though Amit Shah was not available for comment, sources close to him inform that he is taking the task of establishing the party in the state seriously, and will do everything to ensure a phenomenal result in the upcoming polls.
“A win in the assembly elections of Harayana and Maharashtra is relatively easier, in comparison to winning the states of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu,where the party never had a political base. The idea of learning the local language is not only to speak in rallies, but also it makes communicating with party workers easier. Hence he has taken to learn the language which is indeed a beautiful one,” said a party official unwilling to be quoted.
Though the party’s state unit is unsure of whether it can cobble up ground support to counter the organisational strength of the Trinamool Congress, sources inform that the BJP leadership in Delhi is keen to occupy the opposition space by dislodging the Communist Party of India (CPM).
In the recent concluded elections, though the party just won two of the 42 parliamentary seats, its vote share rose to an all-time high of 16 per cent and in a four-corner fight, CPM was reduced to just two seats.
“People had refused the CPM and in the last three years of TMC rule they were disgusted with the party’s misgovernance. They see hope in the BJP,” said state BJP president Rahul Sinha.
Though the fight for Bengal will not be an easy one, as many party insiders not only question the local leaderships charisma, but also a presence of large minority vote bank makes it tricky for a party whose poll plank has been the Hindu vote bank.
Though the TMC leadership has rejected any possibility of a challenge from the BJP, others worry that the party may use the central government for its benefit.
“They may use the central government and its influence over the election commission to harm us in the coming elections. Also the way people of Kolkata have voted for BJP, the upcoming municipal elections can become little difficult where BJP may possibly win few seats,” said a TMC leader unwilling to be named.