Bengal BJP chief warns party workers against indulging in post-poll violence

Kolkata, May 5 A day after the BJP's decisive win in West Bengal, state BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya on Tuesday warned party workers against indulging in post-violence to avoid expulsion. He said the BJP won't repeat the acts of the Trinamool Congress government.

With 206 seats, the BJP registered a comfortable victory in the state Assembly polls, while the Trinamool Congress managed just 81. The Congress won two seats, the CPI-M one, while the AISF and the Aam Janata Unnayan Party secured one and two seats respectively.

Talking to IANS, Bhattacharya said, "What the Trinamool Congress had done, the BJP won't repeat. If any BJP worker is found to be involved in any kind of post-poll violence, the person will be removed from the party."

He urged the administration to ensure that such incidents do not take place in any case.

"It should take strict action against this; otherwise, the administration will be responsible for such incidents," Bhattacharya said.

Moreover, the Bengal BJP chief alleged: "Yesterday, the rivalry within the Trinamool was visible in Dumdum, Asansol and Rajarhat Gopalpur, when one Trinamool Congress group picked up a BJP flag and vandalised an office of another group within the party."

"They want to seize the office using the BJP flag," he said.

Further, he accused the Trinamool Congress activists of fighting among themselves about "who will now take extortions from e-rickshaw drivers and the market".

Bhattacharya asserted, "This cannot continue. No rickshaw driver will give money to anyone. The vendors selling vegetables on the road, though they do not have permission from the municipality, cannot be forced to pay extortion."

On Trinamool's allegations that fish and meat will be banned from the state upon BJP's victory, he said: "People who become politically bankrupt speak on such issues."

The Bengal BJP chief mentioned that the party's central leadership will take a call on when the swearing-in of the new Chief Minister will take place.

"I had personally suggested May 9, 'Pochishe Boishakh', which marks the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore," he added.

According to the Bengali calendar, 'Rabindra Jayanti' falls on May 9 in 2026.

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