Working behind the scenes: BJP's lesser-known go-getters in West Bengal

Barring exceptions, the "go-to" men are rooted in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its student front, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and have since moved to the BJP organisation.

Think the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), West Bengal, and a few names flash in your mind: Kailash Vijayvargiya, general secretary minding the state, Mukul Roy, a former confidant of Trinamool Congress (TMC) President Mamata Banerjee and now BJP vice-president, Amit Malviya, national IT and social media manager who tweets incessantly about Mamata, and Swapan Dasgupta, who last week quit his Rajya Sabha membership to fight the election from Tarakeshwar. 

The canvas is also peopled with individuals who, unbeknown to those outside the BJP, pull the strings. “They are our go-to men, our trouble-shooters. They draw their strength from remaining low-key and