The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s state unit in West Bengal has shot itself in the foot. It, along with the Congress and the Left, opposed the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government's move to rename West Bengal as Bengal in English, Bangal in Hindi and Bangla in Bengali.
The West Bengal Assembly passed the resolution at its special session in end-August. As it transpired, the BJP's state unit had taken a public position on the issue without consulting the party's central leadership.
The BJP's central leaders do not want to be seen opposing the state government's move. The BJP, in the last couple of decades, had also advocated renaming of roads, towns and cities to honour local leaders and sensibilities. Now, Parliament would need to pass the West Bengal Assembly's resolution.
The state unit leaders were pleading with their central leadership that the BJP shouldn't support this in Parliament. They, however, have been told that not only would the BJP support the renaming, it would even issue a whip to its Members of Parliament to be present when it is taken up for discussion.
