Kolkata: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, 31 October 2026, officially launched its first direct workers' trade union in West Bengal, holding its inaugural programme at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata. The inaugural unit has been formally designated the 'NSCBI Airport (Kolkata) Contractors' Workers' Morcha', and it will operate under the state unit's BJP Trade Union Relations Cell.

Source: IANS via asiaPOST

Since its founding in 1980, the BJP has refrained from establishing party-affiliated labour or student wings, instead channelling workers' issues through associate organisations linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — primarily the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) for labour and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for students. Saturday's launch formally breaks with that model in West Bengal. Rather than a single centralised trade union brand, the party has opted for sector-specific, regionally named branch unions.

Source: Nation Press

West Bengal BJP State President Samik Bhattacharya, addressing the launch ceremony, explained the ideological reasoning behind the party's traditional policy: that if a political party has its own workers' organisation, workers may not be able to protest or agitate against the administration over their rights, deprivations and grievances when that party is in government. He added that the new wing's stance is clear: it will work for the country and demand the full remuneration workers deserve for their work.

Source: IANS via asiaPOST

1980BJP founded — the year since which it had no direct labour wing
Oct 31, 2026first direct union launched at NSCBI Airport, Kolkata
Sector by sectorplanned expansion across West Bengal's industries

BJP All-India General Secretary Sunil Bansal, who attended the launch event at NSCBI Airport, termed the establishment of the airport contractors' union a 'historic day' and confirmed that the party will progressively expand similar labour units across other industrial and commercial sectors in West Bengal. Previously, the BJP's Trade Union Relations Cell in the state was limited to coordinating among existing independent labour unions and sector workers, rather than organising workers directly.

Source: IANS via asiaPOST

Following Saturday's launch, Aritra Chatterjee — the West Bengal co-convener of the BJP Trade Union Relations Cell — was named president of the newly formed NSCBI Airport contract workers' union. Chatterjee has also been appointed to lead a parallel, newly formed contract workers' organisation at the state-run Webel technology complex.

Source: Nation Press