The BJP is all set to sound the election bugle in Bengal in the last week of this month, with a public rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Alipurduar on May 29, followed by Union home minister Amit Shah's address to party leaders in Calcutta on June 1.
A BJP source said the back-to-back visits by Modi and Shah, focusing on Bengal, carried significant political weight in the state, which is heading for Assembly elections next year.
"Modiji will address the rally in Alipurduar, a region close to the international borders with Bangladesh and China on the eastern front, after he visits Rajasthan on the western front. While Modiji will focus on national pride and the success of Operation Sindoor — sending a strong message to the people in bordering districts — Amit Shahji will take charge of organisational matters within three days. Although the elections will be held next year, the party wants to begin its preparations quite early this time," said a senior state BJP leader.
Prime Minister Modi visited Rajasthan's Bikaner on May 22 and is currently on a trip to Gujarat, his home state.
A source said the location of Prime Minister Modi’s public rally is strategically significant, as the Bangladesh international border is only 55km from Alipurduar. Besides addressing the public rally, he is expected to announce various development projects for north Bengal, which has been considered a BJP stronghold since the 2019 general election.
"The Hasimara Air Force Station is barely 40km from where Modiji will address the rally. He is likely to send a strong message regarding the infiltration of terrorists from neighbouring regions. After Operation Sindoor, which has been praised across the country, his visit holds major significance, and we are eager to hear his speech," said another BJP leader.
According to the schedule, Modi will arrive in Alipurduar from Sikkim, where he will attend a government event on the afternoon of May 29. After laying the foundation stone for various projects, he will address the crowd at the Alipurduar Parade Ground, concluding his one-day visit to the two eastern states.
Shah will arrive in Calcutta on the night of May 31. A source said Shah, who had previously served as the BJP’s national president, would primarily assess the state of the party’s organisational structure.
Although the venue is yet to be finalised, one leader said that the party was trying to hold Shah’s organisational meeting at the Science City Auditorium.
"There will be around 2,500 party leaders, including mandal (block-level) presidents. Amit Shahji will address the newly elected mandal and district presidents from across Bengal," said a BJP source.
He added that Shah might sit separately with senior BJP leaders like state president Sukanta Majumdar, leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and general secretaries of the state unit.
Aside from the political programme, Shah was also scheduled to attend an event with around 3,000 farmers involved in cooperative societies. However, the event has been cancelled because of a forecast of bad weather.
Multiple BJP leaders said they were eagerly awaiting Shah’s guidance on the Assembly elections. Before the 2021 Assembly polls, it was Shah who had set a target for the BJP to win 200 seats in Bengal. However, the party secured only 77 MLAs (65 now).
BJP leadership believes that the situation in Bengal has changed significantly, particularly after the developments in Bangladesh and the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, resulting in a major consolidation of Hindu votes.
"The party's strategy for next year's Assembly polls will be entirely different. We believe that even a minor shift of Hindu voters to the BJP could change the election outcome in the party’s favour," said a BJP leader.