Bengal BJP chief rejects political 'capture' of Durga Puja, not to head organising committees

Kolkata, Jul 14 (PTI) Seeking to draw a distinction with the TMC regime's alleged control over community festivals, West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Tuesday said he would not head any Durga Puja committee in the state, and issued a broader message to his party leaders against taking over groups organising pujas. The statement came a day after the overhaul of the committee of crowd-puller Suruchi Sangha Durga Puja, where BJP MLA Sourav Sikdar replaced Swarup Biswas as secretary, fuelling speculation that the saffron party was set to inherit the institutional and symbolic spaces long dominated by the TMC during its 15-year-old rule. Swarup is the brother of former TMC minister Aroop Biswas. Bhattacharya said reports suggesting he would become president of the iconic College Square Durga Puja committee were incorrect. "I will not become the president of College Square Durga Puja. Not only College Square, but I will neither head nor take charge of organising any Durga Puja committee in the state," he said in a social media post. He, however, said he would honour an invitation from the organisers to attend the 'khuti puja' on Thursday but would not hold any position in the committee. His remarks appeared aimed at reassuring organisers that a change in the state's political landscape would not translate into political appropriation of Bengal's largest festival. Without naming the TMC, Bhattacharya suggested that Durga Puja committees should remain independent of political control. "For years, there was a perception that community pujas required political patronage to function smoothly. Durga Puja belongs to the people, not to any political party," he said. He also drew a line for BJP legislators and office-bearers. "A legislator or minister may decide to head a puja committee in his or her own locality. But that does not mean political leaders, MPs or MLAs should go around assuming control of one puja committee after another," Bhattacharya said, asserting that the "universal" character of Bengal's community pujas must remain intact. His intervention assumes significance as the BJP attempts to expand its organisational footprint after coming to power in West Bengal, while simultaneously countering anticipated criticism that it could replicate the politician-club ecosystem that evolved during the TMC era. For over a decade, several of Kolkata's marquee Durga Pujas came to be identified with influential TMC leaders, with critics alleging that political proximity became essential for obtaining administrative clearances and official support. Several puja committees later also figured in corruption-related controversies involving politically connected organisers. The debate resurfaced after sweeping changes at Suruchi Sangha, one of Kolkata's most celebrated Durga Pujas and long regarded as the bastion of former state minister Aroop Biswas and his younger brother Swarup. At a meeting on Sunday, members removed the Biswas brothers from the committee and elected BJP MLA Sourav Sikdar as the new secretary. The committee also resolved to hold this year's Durga Puja at its traditional New Alipore venue despite an eviction notice from the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), which has claimed ownership of the land. Sikdar has said the committee would hand over possession of the property in compliance with the notice and subsequently rent the premises from LIC for the three months required for the festival before returning it after Durga Puja. The organisational change at Suruchi came amid the collapse of the Biswas brothers' influence. Swarup Biswas, once considered one of the most powerful figures in Bengal's entertainment industry, was arrested last month in an extortion case and is facing multiple allegations, including seeking sexual favours from a make-up artiste. Investigators have also received complaints alleging that he demanded a share of artistes' earnings and collected money under the pretext of providing COVID-19 assistance. Aroop Biswas, a former sports minister who lost the Tollygunge Assembly seat in this year's election, is separately facing multiple legal challenges, including investigations into alleged extortion linked to Lionel Messi's visit to Kolkata and a criminal case in which he has secured interim protection from the Calcutta High Court. Against that backdrop, Bhattacharya's decision to publicly distance himself from holding positions in puja committees is being viewed in political circles as an attempt to frame the BJP's approach as one of participation rather than organisational capture, even as the party steadily expands its presence in institutions that were once considered TMC strongholds. PTI PNT NN