Why Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's elevation is good news for Bengal BJP

Chowdhury, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, is a sharp critic of Mamata Banerjee. Banerjee recently sought the Congress' support to help stop the BJP's rise in West Bengal

The appointment of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a five-time MP from the Berhampore constituency, as leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha opens up new possibilities for both his party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Prior to his selection, the party had always opted for the president of the state unit, in case of West Bengal, to lead its members in the Lok Sabha. Both Pranab Mukherjee and Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi were the then state unit president when they were named leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha. Chowdhury had stepped down as the Congress’ West Bengal unit president