Misconception over NRC, lack of campaign on CAB led to bypoll defeat, say BJP leaders

West Bengal BJP unit has identified "misconception over NRC" and its failure to counter it as one of main reasons behind party's defeat in just-concluded bypolls in three Assembly segments of West Bengal, a senior party leer said on Saturday.

Apart from NRC issue, complacency of party workers in certain areas and absence of "free and fair" polling in some of booths h led to party's defeat, he ded. " Trinamool Congress (TMC) deliberately created panic and misconception over NRC (National Register of Citizens), but we too failed to counter it with our narrative of CAB (Citizenship Amendment Bill). This was one of reasons behind defeat. Apart from this, our cre and leers were complacent and did t work actively during elections," BJP leer said after a post-poll assessment meeting that ended late in evening.

BJP has prepared a report, including inputs from districts where bypolls were held, and sent it to party president Amit Shah, sources said. Several senior BJP leers, including its state vice-president Chandra Kumar Bose, have blamed campaign over NRC for party's defeat in bypolls and called for a separate Bengal-specific strategy. West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said party's failure to carry forward success of Lok Sabha polls in state was due to lack of experience. ruling TMC won all three seats -- Karimpur, Kaliagunj, Khargapur Sar -- in bypolls, relegating BJP to second position.

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