The top guns are coming to town.
Calcutta is set for a high- voltage political weekend as top leaders from across parties descend ahead of polling on April 29.
Apart from chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who will campaign in what is virtually her backyard, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are also scheduled to be in and around the city over Saturday and Sunday.
Senior Kolkata Police officers said such a congregation of political heavyweights over the same weekend has not been seen in several years.
Modi is scheduled to hold a roadshow late Sunday afternoon, covering parts of north Calcutta, including Jorabagan, BK Pal Avenue and Aurobindo Sarani up to the Khanna intersection. The roadshow is aimed at boosting the BJP’s prospects in Shyampukur, a Trinamool stronghold represented by Shashi Panja since 2011.
Party leaders say Modi is the BJP’s face in every constituency, making his visit like a campaign for all 142 seats going to the polls in the second phase.
According to police sources, Modi is expected to arrive by helicopter at the RCTC helipad before proceeding by road to Jorabagan, where the roadshow will begin.
It is unclear whether Modi will be in Bengal until the last day of campaigning on Monday.
From 3pm on Saturday, Rahul is scheduled to address meetings in Serampore, Hooghly, at the Shaheed Minar, and in Metiabruz. He is expected to stay in the city overnight.
Congress leaders said his earlier rallies, planned for April 23 in Calcutta and Serampore, were denied permission by the police and subsequently rescheduled.
Shah is set to lead the BJP’s campaign through the final stretch, sources in the party said. Leaders said he would oversee party strategy “till the last minute”.
On Saturday, he is scheduled to hold a roadshow from Ranikuthi to Juba Sangha, on the city’s southern fringes, though BJP leaders added that programmes could change.
“Last-minute campaign strategy for Phase 2 of polling is actively being reviewed under Shah’s leadership,” a senior BJP leader said.
Campaigning for this phase ends at 6pm on Monday.
Racing against the deadline, Mamata has a line-up of roadshows, rallies and meetings across Bhabanipur and other parts of the city.
“On Saturday, the chief minister is expected to hold meetings in Chakraberia and Odiyapara in Bhabanipur, after a rally in Dum Dum,” said a senior Trinamool leader overseeing her campaign trail.
On Sunday, she will lead a roadshow through parts of Chakraberia, Bakulbagan, Paddapukur, Lansdowne and Harish Mukherjee Road. “Didi also plans to campaign in Tollygunge and Kasba before Monday evening,” the leader added.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal is expected to campaign for Mamata, though the venues are yet to be finalised. With multiple campaigns scheduled across the city,
Kolkata Police have drawn up an extensive deployment plan. Senior officers said coordination meetings have been held with officials responsible for the security of high-profile leaders.
“Necessary instructions have been issued to all traffic guards, deputy commissioners in charge of divisions, and police stations concerned,” a senior officer at Lalbazar said.