PM Modi, HM Amit Shah likely to start poll campaign in Bengal from Dec

Kolkata, Nov 23 (IANS) Inspired by the landslide electoral success in the recently concluded Bihar Assembly polls, the BJP's Central leadership is planning to start a high-profile campaign involving both the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections from next month.

The initial plans, as of now, are to conduct at least two mega public rallies in the state every month till next month, till the time the polling date for Assembly elections in West Bengal in 2026 is announced, with one of the two monthly rallies to be addressed by the Prime Minister and the other by the Union Home Minister.

"After the polling dates are announced, the frequency of such monthly public meetings will increase. Our state party president, Samik Bhattacharya, will be in Delhi this week to finalise the tentative dates and places of the two monthly rallies till the election dates are announced. An attempt will be made to conduct such rallies at any place which was cab simultaneously cover more than one district at a time,” said a state committee BJP member in West Bengal.

As of now, the BJP is eyeing the campaigning in West Bengal in a phase-wise manner, dividing in five organisational zones of the party.

Soon after the landslide victory of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, the state and Central leaders of the party gave a war cry, coining the slogan -- "After Odisha in 2024 and Bihar in 2025, it will be Bengal in 2026".

Political analysts here feel that the planning of BJP to conduct mega campaign rallies in West Bengal involving the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister so early proves that the slogan of "After Odisha in 2024 and Bihar in 2025, it will be Bengal in 2026" was not just a mere war-cry and also proves how seriously the Central BJP leadership is taking the West Bengal polls.

BJP's state committee member said that besides physical campaigning, the state leadership of the party is also focusing on digital campaigning in a major way this time, though its newly-launched and Bengal-dedicated website "namoyavawarriors.com", which was officially launched earlier this month.

The people willing to join the BJP's digital outreach programme for the West Bengal Assembly polls next year are able to register their names through this website.

The website outlines various aims for which this digital outreach programme has been launched.

The aims include ending corruption and create a transparent recruitment process in state government jobs, providing a safe and secure academic environment in colleges and universities which would be free of ragging, crimes against women and admission cut money syndicates and restore past economic glory of the state through new investments, new entrepreneurs and skill development and create jobs for the youth and stop forced migration of skilled youth for jobs outside, among others.

--IANS

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