Behind the BJP’s historic victory in the West Bengal assembly election lies the astute strategy and vast experience of the party’s ‘Chanakya’ – Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is also the architect of numerous historic triumphs. He had camped in Bengal for 14 days, coordinated party operations and issued directions.
To translate strategy into action on the ground, he held continuous organisational meetings with party leaders late into the night to provide guidance, and spent his days at rallies and roadshows – at least 50 of them across Bengal.
During this period, Shah made significant announcements including implementation of the 7th Pay Commission for government employees if BJP came to power, and a pledge to deal strictly with “goons and infiltrators”.
Following the first phase of voting, Shah pointed out the BJP had already secured over 110 seats in that phase, paving the way for more success in the second phase. This gave confidence to the public on the BJP’s impending victory, particularly during the second phase, which was earlier seen as a difficult challenge for the party.
Consequently, the BJP succeeded in breaching Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s fortress.
The strategic roles played by five central leaders alongside Shah added to the BJP’s win in Bengal. From organisational matters to social media management, they worked seamlessly as a cohesive team. They are:
Dharmendra Pradhan
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan served as the chief strategist for the entire election campaign. He worked to make coordination smooth between communities and across social stratas. His role primarily was to act as a bridge between the central leadership and the state unit, ensuring efficient management of resources and visits by the central leadership.
Bhupender Yadav
A master of organisational skills, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav focused on micro-management and played a big role in mobilising party workers down to the booth level. He navigated the complex legal intricacies of the electoral process. His extensive experience in Bihar and other states proved invaluable within the challenging electoral landscape of Bengal.
Sunil Bansal
BJP national general secretary Sunil Bansal had previously steered the BJP to unprecedented heights in Uttar Pradesh. In Bengal, he built a formidable army of ‘panna pramukhs’ (booth-level coordinators) at the grassroots level. His primary focus was on building a strong and disciplined organisational structure for the BJP to counter the Trinamool’s cadre-based system.
Biplab Deb
Former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb has firsthand experience in fighting against and ultimately dislodging the Left in his state. In Bengal, he worked specifically in regions where the culture and language bore a close resemblance to those of Tripura. He played a pivotal role in galvanising local party workers and fostering an aggressive style of campaigning.
Amit Malviya
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya spearheaded the battle of narratives on the digital front. His role was decisive in leveraging social media to inform in-depth and with care and sensitivity to the people key incidents ranging from Sandeshkhali to the RG Kar Medical College case. This created an anti-government sentiment against the ruling Trinamool. He launched a strong counter-challenge to the Trinamool’s propaganda machinery through digital channels.
Overall, it’s the collective efforts of these leaders that enabled the BJP to achieve this level of success in the formidable stronghold of Bengal.