States » EastPosted at: Oct 5 2026 6:09PM


BJP govt in state to bring bill to rename West Bengal as Paschim Banga: BJP state president

Kolkata, Oct 5 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal will bring a Bill in the first session of the state Assembly to rename the state Paschim Banga, state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said on Monday, rejecting the earlier proposal to call it "Bangla" and asserting that the new name must reflect the state's history and identity.
"We will bring a Bill in the very first session so that the name of the state remains connected with its history and retains its identity. The name of the state will be Paschim Banga," Bhattacharya said at a press conference at the BJP's Salt Lake office.
He said the BJP would not accept either "West Bengal" or "Bangla" as the state's name, arguing that the existing nomenclature was rooted in the history of Partition and that the state's present identity had to be recognised.
"It will be neither West Bengal nor merely Bangla. Bengal was divided, and one part went away. What remains is West Bengal. Paschim Banga is the name that reflects that identity," Bhattacharya said.
"The state has its own history, its own identity and its own political and cultural heritage. The name should remain connected with that history," he said.
Bhattacharya had also raised the demand in the Rajya Sabha in August during a debate on the proposed renaming of Kerala as Keralam.
He had opposed any move to rename West Bengal simply "Bengal", saying the creation of West Bengal was inseparable from the history of Partition.
The BJP state president said the proposed name change would form part of the commitments being pursued by the new state government under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
He said the government was also addressing its election commitments, including filling vacant government posts, implementing Ayushman Bharat and strengthening Centre-state relations within the federal framework.
"Our commitment before the election was clear. We had taken a Sankalp Patra to the people and promised that recruitment to vacant government posts would begin as soon as we came to power. Our government is addressing each of these commitments," Bhattacharya said.
On the Opposition's contention that the state was already known as "Paschim Banga" in Bengali, he said the proposed legislation was intended to give the name formal recognition.
"Whatever is written in Bengali in government work is one thing. But our position is clear — it should not be West Bengal and it should not be Bangla. It should be Paschim Banga," he said.
Bhattacharya also dismissed suggestions that the younger generation was becoming disenchanted with the BJP, saying Gen Z wanted a prosperous and developed India.
"I do not believe that today's young generation is unhappy with the country or its development. They want a more prosperous, developed India. Their patriotism, commitment to the country and desire for progress are not in doubt," he said.
"The person who has been able to touch the emotions and aspirations of this generation is Narendra Modi," he added.
The press conference was attended by BJP West Bengal general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Locket Chatterjee, state Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Services and Sports and Consumer Affairs Indranil Khan, and BJP chief spokesperson Debjit Sarkar. UNI SEN SAS
Tags: #BJP govt in state to bring bill to rename West Bengal as Paschim Banga: BJP state president
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