Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally on the Brigade Parade ground here on Saturday in a bid to give a big boost to the BJP’s rank and file ahead of the Assembly elections.

“It is going to be a historic Brigade rally tomorrow and our Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the people coming from all corners of the state. BJP is the first party to organise such a mega rally ahead of the elections,” Union minister of state Sukanta Majumdar said on Friday.

BJP insiders said Modi was expected to call for a change in Bengal, highlight the failures of the Mamata Banerjee government and make promises that the BJP would fulfil if it came to power.

“Amit Shah ji had already set the tone by assuring the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission and appointments to all vacant posts in the state government once the party comes to power, with a relaxation of five years in the age limit for youths because of the delay in recruitment. Now, we are waiting to see whether Modi ji will add something new and offer more attractive assurances for the people of Bengal to fine-tune the line of campaign,” said a senior BJP leader.

The BJP has installed a replica of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple in the backdrop of the dais to send a message that it is closely connected to Bengal’s culture.

“Everyone who comes to Calcutta must visit Dakshineswar, a place that represents Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. That is why the temple has been placed in the backdrop,” said BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya.

Since the July 18 rally in Durgapur, Modi brought a change in his traditional “Jai Shri Ram” slogan and invoked “Jai Maa Kali” and “Jai Maa Durga”. The message has been very clear since then that the party is keen to remove the “outsider” tag that had become a campaign tool for the ruling Trinamool Congress.

“The Dakshineswar temple will represent the power of the mother, the women of West Bengal. Besides the temple, there will be elements reflecting the cultural and traditional history of Bengal, from Darjeeling Tea to the terracotta design of Bankura’s Bishnupur,” said senior BJP leader Raju Banerjee.

A BJP source said this is the first time the party has shifted from its traditional backdrop of large screens showing the party symbol and leaders’ faces to a complete replica of the Dakshineswar temple. However, the source said that small screens displaying the lotus symbol would be placed on both sides of the stage.

Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh said such “gimmicks” would not work. He said it was chief minister Mamata Banerjee who, during her tenure as railway minister, had restructured the ticket counter of the Dakshineswar station with a replica of the temple.

“They have already started chanting the ‘Jai Maa Kali’ slogan. We are very confident that after the election results come out, these BJP leaders will chant the ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan,” said Ghosh.

A section of BJP insiders wants the Prime Minister to address the LPG crisis that Trinamool has made a major issue in poll-bound Bengal.

“The Trinamool Congress has been trying to highlight the LPG crisis to counter us ahead of the elections. As there are issues on the ground and public grievances over the crisis, we want the Prime Minister to reassure the people of Bengal,” said a BJP leader.

BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said: “It is very unfortunate that Trinamool has been trying to make the LPG issue a political tool. However, the people of Bengal understand everything, and their efforts will not work, as the central government has already clarified the situation and everyone knows about the ongoing war.”

BJP leaders also expect that at the rally, Modi will broach the alleged insult to President Droupadi Murmu.

The leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, on Friday met governor R.N. Ravi and pointed out the alleged insult to the President
by Mamata.

“I have urged him to save the Constitution,” said Adhikari, while demanding that the Union government take stern action against the chief secretary and the DGP over the Murmu issue.

Before his Saturday visit to Calcutta, Modi met top Bengal BJP leaders, including Bhattacharya and Adhikari, to finalise the candidates for the polls. A party source said the names of 150 candidates
were finalised.