Murder of BJP worker by own party members sparks speculation of intra-party feud in West Bengal

Political observers say that the majority of the BJP leadership, including Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, had joined the party about five to six years ago. File

The violent death of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker at Panihati, in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, on Sunday (November 15, 2026) has sparked speculation that an intra-party feud has broken out between long-time supporters of the ruling party in the State and former Trinamool Congress supporters who switched allegiance after Assembly election results in May.

Arup Saha, the husband of Ruma Saha — the secretary of BJP’s Panihati-1 mandal (zone) — was attacked on Saturday (November 14, 2026) by a mob that allegedly included some of the party’s supporters.

Ms. Ruma Saha was protesting against an incident where a businessman was beaten up on Saturday (November 14, 2026) when she was subjected to verbal abuse by a fellow party worker. When Mr. Arup Saha — who was also an active BJP worker — intervened, a scuffle broke out in which he sustained injuries.

He was admitted to a State-run hospital on Saturday (November 14, 2026), but succumbed to his injuries on Sunday (November 15, 2026).

BJP Panihati MLA Ratna Debnath alleged that party workers who joined the ruling party after May 4, 2026 — when the West Bengal State Assembly election results were announced — were responsible for the crime.

“District president (BJP president) has appointed conveners of his choice in various wards of Panihati. Most of them have joined the BJP from Trinamool,” Ms. Debnath said.

The mother of Abhaya (a doctor at RG Kar Hospital, who was raped and killed on August 9, 2024), who also joined the BJP just before the 2026 assembly polls, said that ward coordinators have been placed unofficially in all 29 wards of Panihati Municipality. All of them are Trinamool supporters.

Political observers say that the majority of the BJP leadership, including Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, had joined the party about five to six years ago.

The factional feud between BJP leaders came to the fore at Barrackpore, in the same district, on Sunday (November 15, 2026), where slogans of “go back” were raised against BJP MLA Kaustav Bagchi, allegedly by supporters from his own party.

According to reports, Mr. Bagchi has raised allegations that illegal businesses are being operated in his constituency.

Those protesting against him alleged that the MLA had gone out to distribute Chhath Puja sarees with the accused in the murder of a BJP leader.