Kolkata, Dec 23 (IANS): With a focus on women's leadership, the West Bengal unit of BJP has brought about a major reshuffle in the organizational structure of the party in the state, bringing two women elected representatives in key leadership positions.

The first is the actor-turned-politician and BJP Lok Sabha member from Hooghly constituency Locket Chatterjee. She has been made the convener of an organizational district covering important pockets in certain districts in north Bengal like Birbhum, East Burdwan, West Burdwan and Bankura.

Similarly, fashion-designer-turned politician and the BJP legislator from Asansol (South) Agnimitra Paul has been made the convener for the party’s crucial organizational district of Kolkata.

The development is perceived to be of significant importance before the scheduled visit of the Union home minister, Amit Shah to Kolkata on Sunday and Monday with the main purpose of the visit being to take a stock of the party’s organizational strengths and weaknesses in West Bengal.

A state committee member of BJP said that the assignments are in line with the party’s national focus of bringing more women in prominent leadership positions before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

In fact, BJP's West Bengal unit has set a target to field women candidates from at least 12 out of the state's total 42 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,

“An ideal situation will be if we can nominate women candidates in 14 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats considering our party’s target nationally is to field at least 33 per cent women candidates. But even if that does not happen our target this time is to nominate women candidates in at least 12 Lok Sabha seats,” the BJP state committee member said.

In 2019, the BJP fielded a total of five candidates, out of which two got elected -- actor-turned-politician Locket Chatterjee and Debasree Chaudhuri. The latter had also served as Minister of State for Woman and Child Development from May 2019 to July 2021.