In a significant organisational shake-up, the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated structural changes in line with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chiefMohan Bhagwat’s directives.

The party has announced new district presidents across 25 of the state’s 43 organisational districts, reinforcing its ties with RSS-affiliated leaders. For the past few days, speculation was rife regarding these changes. Finally, on the occasion of Dol Jatra, the BJP declared the names of the new district presidents. While some districts saw no changes, several others witnessed the appointment of new faces, indicating a strategic move by the saffron party ahead of the 2026 Assembly election.

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In south Bengal, district presidents were replaced in Barasat, Basirhat, Arambagh, Howrah, Jangipur, and Hooghly. Kolkata north suburban and Purulia also saw leadership changes. However, the party chose to retain the existing presidents in districts such as north Nadia and Siliguri. Among the most notable changes, four sitting MLAs—TMC turncoat Tapasi Mondal (Tamluk), Arup Das (Kanthi), Amar Nath Shakha (Bishnupur), and Biman Ghosh (Arambagh)—have been removed from their roles as district presidents. This move signals the party’s emphasis on strengthening its organisational structure with RSS-backed leaders rather than elected representatives.

Of the 25 district presidents announced on Friday, eight retained their positions, while 17 are fresh appointments. The remaining district presidents are expected to be named in the coming days.

With these changes, all eyes are now on the appointment of the state BJP president, a position that remains a subject of intense political speculation.