Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar has made a reference to Narendra Modi’s perceived past to counter a party colleague but unwittingly ended up gifting the Opposition a chance to question the Prime Minister’s efficiency.

“Efficiency does not matter here because we have shown that our organisation was strong enough to turn a tea seller into the country’s Prime Minister. In our party, discipline or credibility is the first criterion,” said Majumdar while addressing a BJP meeting at Dum Dum on Thursday evening.

“Our party is not limited to a family. Discipline is the first word in our organisation,” he added.

According to a source in the saffron camp, the comment by the party’s state president gave an opportunity to take potshots at Modi’s efficiency.

A section of BJP leaders did not take it easy as they think his comment somehow sent out a message that Narendra Modi is not efficient enough.

“We think he (Majumdar) had no intention to raise questions on the efficiency of our Prime Minister. However, as a state president, he had to be more careful while pitching any comment involving leaders like Narendra Modi,” said a BJP insider.

Majumdar’s comment is apparently a counter to his colleague in Parliament and BJP MP from Bishnupur Soumitra Khan, who had publicly questioned his efficiency in handling the party’s affairs in a state like Bengal. Khan turned up before cameras and said the state BJP president was inefficient.

“There is no condition that I have to follow the direction of Sukanta Majumdar. I will not obey him as my leader. Suvendu Adhikari and Dilip Ghosh are my leaders. Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are leading the country but it is not possible to conquer Bengal by putting an inefficient person at the top,” Khan told reporters last week.

Trinamul Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: “The BJP president admitted that Narendra Modi is completely inefficient as the Prime Minister. Sukanta Majumdar is certainly feeling the impact of the rise in the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG. He also understands the impact on people following decreasing rates of interest in provident funds and banks.”

On the other hand, BJP leader Sayantan Basu sent a letter to national president J.P. Nadda, accusing the present state leadership of allowing newcomers to handle the organisation at the expense of old guards.

In his letter, Basu said that his party was more active in social media rather than strengthening organisation.