Siliguri, Jan 31: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a two-day visit to West Bengal to boost the BJP's political outreach ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections. As part of his trip, Shah will be in Siliguri on Saturday for an important political programme, as the party intensifies its preparations for the polls.
On Saturday, Shah will travel to North Bengal, where a crucial meeting is scheduled at 3 pm at the Gosainpur Airport Authority ground in Bagdogra. The meeting will be an important part of his outreach efforts in the region. Additionally, Shah will address two major public rallies-cum-party workers’ conferences. The first event will take place in the morning at Barrackpore, a key area in North 24 Parganas district, known for its industrial history. Later in the day, he will address another large rally in Siliguri, located in the Darjeeling district, covering the North Bengal region.
BJP sources have confirmed that workers from four organisational districts-Bangaon, Barasat, Basirhat, and Barrackpore-will primarily attend the Barrackpore rally. Meanwhile, party workers from five districts in the region -Siliguri, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch Behar-will gather at the Siliguri event.
A member of the BJP state committee stated that these programmes are aimed at energising the grassroots workers and strengthening the party's organisational base in both North and South Bengal.
Shah's visit marks a shift in focus from his previous trip to the state last month, which had been centered on internal organisational matters, with the only public engagement being a press conference. This time, however, Shah's emphasis will be on mass outreach programmes, alongside a review of the party's organisational activities.
His visit is part of a series of high-profile trips to West Bengal, which has seen a flurry of political activity in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed two major rallies in the state-on January 17 in Malda and on January 18 in Singur, Hooghly district. BJP’s newly-elected president Nitin Nabin also conducted a two-day visit from January 27, during which he addressed a rally at Durgapur in West Burdwan district.
With the election dates yet to be officially announced, these visits signal the BJP’s growing focus on the state's upcoming elections.
