India, July 2 -- Samik Bhattacharya, a 61-year-old Rajya Sabha member and chief spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s West Bengal unit, emerged as the sole contender for the post of state president on Wednesday as nobody else filed nominations during the organisational election process paving way for the veteran leader, senior party functionaries said.

Bhattacharya will replace 45-year-old Sukanta Majumdar, the Lok Sabha member from north Bengal's Balurghat and Union minister of state for education and development of north east region.

Bhattacharya's nomination was supported by Majumdar and leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Suvendu Adhikari, who left the Trinamool Congress and joined the BJP in December 2020. ...