In a public outreach programme ahead of the panchayat polls in West Bengal, Union minister Smriti Irani on Sunday interacted with local people and had tea with them in Kanthi town of Purba Medinipur district.

The Union Women and Child Development Minister also offered puja at the Maa Nachinda temple during the day.

"I won't make any political statement here. I only prayed for the happiness and prosperity of the people of West Bengal. Let her blessings be showered on one and all," she told reporters later.

Irani also asked the people about local development issues and whether they are getting the benefits of central projects and what is their problem in a 'Chai pe Charcha' session at a tea stall on the side of Kanthi canal, a BJP leader said.

Irani, who arrived in Purba Medinipur district on Saturday on a two-day visit, earlier held a meeting with BJP leaders and workers.

She met the 'karyakartas' of BJP at the local level and discussed ways to strengthen the organisation in the area, a state BJP leader said.

The Union minister is here as part of the BJP strategy to reach out to the common man in the run-up to panchayat polls in 2023 and Lok Sabha polls in 2024 to bolster the organisation.

BJP won both the Kanthi Uttar and Kanthi Dakshin assembly seats in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election.

Kanthi Lok Sabha seat was won by Sisir Adhikari, the father of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, on a TMC ticket in 2019. However, in the run-up to the 2021 assembly polls, Suvendu Adhikari joined BJP while Sisir Adhikari pledged his support to the saffron party in presence of Amit Shah at a public rally.

The West Bengal State Election Commission is yet to announce the dates of the panchayat polls.