BJP rejigs Bengal media team ahead of civic polls, Assembly by-elections

The West Bengal BJP has rejigged its media apparatus ahead of the October 6 assembly bypolls and the upcoming municipal elections, bringing back two familiar faces, former state general secretary Sayantan Bose and party leader Pranoy Roy as spokespersons in an effort to sharpen its political messaging.

The organisational changes come just ahead of BJP national president Nitin Nabin's first visit to the state after taking charge of the party and amid efforts by the ruling BJP to consolidate its organisation ahead of a series of electoral battles.

Advocate Debjit Sarkar has been appointed the chief spokesperson of the state unit, while Anupam Ghosh has been made the media department convenor.

Bose and Roy return to BJP's media panel

The return of Bose and Roy, both known for their regular media appearances, is being seen within the party as an attempt to bring experienced political voices back to the forefront as the BJP prepares for the Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly bypolls and subsequently the municipal elections.

The appointments were announced through a communication issued by state general secretary and party headquarters in-charge Shashi Agnihotri on the direction of West Bengal BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya.

The spokespersons named in the communication include Ritesh Tiwari, Sayantan Bose, Keya Ghosh, Pranoy Roy, Dr Tanmoy Mukhopadhyay, Saptarshi Choudhury, Ophelia Singh, Ankan Dutta, Megha Sen Roy, Dr Nikhil Prasun Singh, Shamik Dasgupta, Sudipta Guha and retired Major Ritwik Pal.

Saptarshi Choudhury will also oversee the party's publications.

BJP reshuffles media, IT and social media teams

The reshuffle extends beyond the spokespersons' panel.

Partha Sarathi Choudhury and Chandrashekhar Basutia have been appointed joint convenors of the media department, while Joy Mallick will head the IT cell and Upamanyu Bhattacharya will look after the social media department.

The changes assume significance before Nabin's two-day visit to West Bengal, beginning September 15.

During his visit, the BJP national president is expected to take stock of the political situation in the state and review the party's preparations for the assembly bypolls and municipal elections.

Nabin visit to assess state organisation

The visit is also likely to provide a first major assessment of the state organisation under Bhattacharya, who has been heading the unit for about a year.

The BJP's new organisational architecture has been taking shape in stages. Last week, the party announced a broad state executive committee, with senior leaders, including Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, Jagannath Chatterjee, Tapas Roy, Agnimitra Paul and Shankar Ghosh, being assigned prominent organisational responsibilities.

The constitution of the new state executive panel had been pending for nearly a year after Bhattacharya assumed charge as West Bengal BJP president.

The exercise is particularly important as the BJP, which defeated the TMC in the assembly elections in May this year and formed the government in West Bengal, now faces the immediate test of retaining its political momentum in the bypolls and translating its assembly victory into an effective organisational presence at the grassroots.