Brother vs Brother: BJP Leaders Clash Publicly in Thakurnagar
A simmering internal conflict within the BJP and its allied All India Matua Mahasangha (AIMM) erupted into a dramatic public confrontation on Sunday afternoon in Thakurnagar, North 24 Parganas. The incident, which involved a Union Minister and an MLA who are brothers, occurred just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to West Bengal, highlighting unresolved tensions within the party's crucial Matua support base.
The Trigger: A Locked SUV and a Delayed Appointment
The scene of the conflict was Thakurbari, the spiritual and community headquarters of the Matuas. Tensions flared when the private SUV belonging to Bikash Ghosh, the BJP's Bongaon organizational district president, was allegedly chained and padlocked by supporters of Subrata Thakur, the BJP MLA from Gaighata.
Ghosh had arrived to meet Shantanu Thakur, the BJP MP from Bongaon and a junior Union Minister, who is also Subrata's elder brother. The dispute centred on the prolonged delay—reportedly four months—in announcing the appointment of the BJP mandal (area) president for Gaighata mandal-1.
Subrata Thakur's faction was protesting what they called a deliberate stall by the district leadership. When Shantanu Thakur learned of the locked vehicle, he rushed to the spot and demanded the lock be removed. This direct intervention sparked a heated verbal altercation between the two brothers in full public view, with party leaders, Matua community members, and AIMM functionaries as witnesses.
Escalation and Denials
Shantanu Thakur and his supporters eventually took matters into their own hands, breaking the lock to free Ghosh's car and allow him to leave the premises. However, MLA Subrata Thakur later denied any direct involvement in the act. "Some agitated workers locked the district president's car. I did not put the lock myself," he stated.
Sources within Thakurbari indicated the root cause is deeper, linked to the recent restructuring of the BJP's Bongaon organization. Subrata had reportedly proposed a candidate from his own faction for the mandal president post, but this was rejected by Shantanu Thakur and Bikash Ghosh, who favoured a different nominee.
Subrata Thakur warned that the leadership vacuum was harming the party. "Because of the absence of organizational leadership, Trinamool and Left are regaining ground, and party workers are angry," he claimed.
Reactions and Political Fallout
Shantanu Thakur criticized the method of protest, calling it inappropriate. "If there are complaints, they should be addressed through dialogue. Locking a car is not the right way," the Union Minister said. Bikash Ghosh declined to comment on the incident.
The opposition Trinamool Congress (TMC) was quick to seize on the internal discord. TMC MP Mamata Thakur commented on the shouting and arguments heard at Thakurbari. "We later learnt that the district president's car was locked. This is an internal matter of BJP, and such incidents will happen again," she said, predicting further turmoil within the rival party.
This public spat between two prominent BJP leaders from the influential Matua community underscores the factional challenges the party faces in West Bengal. It raises questions about organizational discipline and the management of key alliances, especially in the wake of high-profile visits aimed at consolidating support.
