Bhubaneswar, April 7: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday offered puja at Kalighat temple in Kolkata, during his campaign for the Assembly elections in the State.

The Union Minister was accompanied by Swapan Dasgupta, the BJP candidate from the Rasbihari Assembly constituency.

Taking to ‘X’, the Union Minister said he prayed Maa Kali for the welfare of all the countrymen.

“Today, at the Kalighat Temple in Kolkata, I had the divine fortune of darshan and worship of the Shakti Swaroopa Maa Kaali alongside Shri @swapan55 ji, the BJP candidate from the Rasbihari Assembly constituency. In the sacred presence of Maa, my inner self overflowed with profound peace and pure energy. I pray to Maa Kaali for the welfare of all countrymen,” said Pradhan.

For the context, as the West Bengal Assembly election campaign intensifies, Union Minister Pradhan has taken a central role in steering the BJPs strategy.

Pradhan, known for his organisational skills and leadership and previous success in managing election strategies in Bihar, is now applying a similar localised approach to West Bengal.

With campaigning for the West Bengal Assembly elections gaining momentum, the Odisha unit of the BJP has also deployed close to 50 State leaders, including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, to garner support for the party.

The 294-member West Bengal Assembly election will be conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.