BJP’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya speaks at the party’s election review meeting in Kolkata... Read More

KOLKATA: The Bengal BJP will now chant ‘Jai Maa Kali’ along with ‘Jai Sri Ram’ to touch Bengali hearts as the party gears up for an intense mass contact programme over the next six months.

Party leaders believe the new slogan will help offset the notion that BJP is a non-Bengali party.

In the first organisational meeting in Bengal after the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP’s central leadership on Tuesday discussed threadbare the slogan ‘Jai Sri Ram’ and the chain of events that unfolded. During a meeting with party workers, BJP’s Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya proposed a change in the slogan with the addition of ‘Jai Maa Kali’ to the existing 'Jai Shri Ram '. "The party’s national general secretary (organisation) Ram Lal also agreed to the change in the slogan,” said a BJP leader. “This will also help in offsetting the effort to brand BJP mainly as a non-Bengali party," he added.

"We do not have any objection to only 'Jai Sri Ram' chant, but it seems that the state government is up in arms against those who chant it. 'Jai Maa Kali', 'Jai Sri Ram' will be more acceptable to the people in Bengal as Kali has been worshipped here for generations," said Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh. Earlier, Asansol MP and Union minister Babul Supriyo had said that people have picked up the slogan against the appeasement politics of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Meanwhile, the BJP has also decided to send “thank you” notes to everyone who sends a "Jai Hind, Jai Bangla" greeting. "There is nothing wrong in saying ‘Jai Hind’ as that bolsters the nationalist feeling in the one who chants it," said another BJP leader.

The party leaders on Tuesday hinted at a reshuffle in the district leadership within a few days. "There are weaknesses in the organisational strength in some districts. We will discuss that during the district-wise review meetings," Ghosh said.

In the last Lok Sabha polls in Bengal, BJP was able to increase its vote share from around 17% in 2014 to more than 40%. In some Lok Sabha seats like Jalpaiguri and Ranaghat, it went above 50%, while in other constituencies like Mathurapur, Cooch Behar, Bishnupur, Arambag and Kanthi, the vote share was significantly higher than 40%. BJP leaders think that this can further be increased by 10% till the assembly polls.

Simultaneously, BJP will also focus on the constituencies close to Kolkata where its candidates came a distant second. Delay in candidate selection for constituencies like Arambag and Barasat have also impacted the campaign. The BJP will also take up an intensive membership drive during July 6 and December 25. "There is no bar in accepting members from other parties. But Ram Lal has asked local leaders to be careful about those with a tainted past," said a BJP leader.

