BJP national president J.P. Nadda, whose two-day visit to Bengal ended on Sunday, has spoken extensively about the need for a team approach instead of an individualistic outlook to achieve the objective of a stronger party organisation in the state.

The message from Nadda, multiple sources in the party said, was aimed at Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly.

"Main isharon mein-hi bol raha hoon (I am talking in allusions)," a source quoted Nadda, who apparently made this comment at the core committee meeting held at a hotel in Calcutta on Saturday night.

As Adhikari was conspicuous by his absence at the meeting, several BJP insiders said Nadda was referring to the Nandigram MLA, undoubtedly the face of the party in the state, in his address.

"As a national president, I have to organise hundreds of programmes.... And we need at least 500 people to organise them. Can I do everything?" the BJP party president reportedly asked during the meeting attended by senior state party leaders.

The crux of his message, multiple sources said, was that the Bengal BJP has to work as a team to achieve the objective of a stronger party organisation in the state.

Being a bordering state with a significant minority population, Bengal is a high-priority state for the BJP.

Analysis of recent electoral failures, a source said, has indicated that the party's performance in Bengal did not meet the central leaders' expectations primarily because of the lack of a united approach in the state leadership.

"Individualistic approach (in the state unit) has been a problem for us," Nadda apparently said at the core committee meeting.

While it is true the BJP central leadership has pinned its hopes on Adhikari who managed to defeat Mamata from Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly polls, they are also aware of his "overbearing approach" that has often antagonised other party leaders in the state, a source said.

"He is the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.... But he wants to have a say in everything. Such things can happen in a party like Trinamul, but not in the BJP. Nadda-ji probably sent him this message obliquely that the organisation is more important in the BJP scheme of things," said a source.

According to the insider, Nadda gave the example of how Prime Minister Narendra Modi spends hours sitting in party meetings despite his busy schedule.

During the core committee meeting, Nadda apparently made it clear while responding to a question from veteran actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty that there cannot be any doubt about the authority of BJP state unit president Sukanta Majumdar. It is common knowledge in the BJP ranks that Adhikari, with over 20 years of experience in Bengal politics, often doubts the ability of the professor-tuned-Balurghat MP, considered a rookie in politics.

"Nadda-ji made it clear there can't be any doubt about the authority of the incumbent state party president.... This is also a strong message to Suvendu," said a source.