Who is Samik Bhattacharya, the RSS-backed loyalist chosen to revive BJP in Bengal?

Samik Bhattacharya, a Rajya Sabha MP and long-time party worker with roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has been elected unopposed as the new president of the BJP's West Bengal unit. His appointment comes ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, at a time when the party is attempting to recover from recent setbacks in the state.

Bhattacharya began attending RSS Shakhas in Howrah's Mandirtala as a school student in the 1970s. He later joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), eventually moving to the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in the 1990s. He has held several organisational positions in the state BJP over the past three decades, including state general secretary, vice-president, and chief spokesperson.

In 2014, Bhattacharya won the Basirhat South Assembly bypoll, becoming the BJP's first MLA from the area without the support of any alliance. He lost the seat in the 2016 Assembly election but remained active in the party. He contested the Shyampukur Assembly seat in 2006 and the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat in 2014, but did not win.

He served as the BJP's chief spokesperson in Bengal from 2020 to 2024. In April 2024, he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha. In Parliament, he has spoken on issues such as electoral reforms, federalism, and internal security.

Bhattacharya has worked under nine state BJP presidents. He maintained his position in the party through different leadership tenures, including during the presidencies of Tathagata Roy, Dilip Ghosh, and Sukanta Majumdar.

According to party members, his working relationship with leaders such as Suvendu Adhikari has been constructive. "It's a good selection. We have good relations," West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari said after Bhattacharya was picked as state chief. 

Following the BJP's defeat in the 2021 Assembly elections, the state unit has faced desertions, internal disagreements, and poor performance in the 2023 Panchayat polls and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Bhattacharya's current task includes rebuilding the organisation, restoring discipline, and improving coordination between the party organisation and its legislative wing.

His appointment is being seen within the party as part of a broader strategy to prepare for the 2026 Assembly elections and strengthen the BJP's presence in West Bengal.