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BJP plans to organise five mega rath yatras in poll-bound Bengal
Top BJP leaders in the state said that the party’s national president JP Nadda is expected to launch the first rath yatra on February 6. All five rath yatras have been named parivartan yatras
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning to organise five mega rath yatras to bolster its poll campaign ahead of the crucial assembly elections due this year in West Bengal.
Top BJP leaders in the state said that the party’s national president JP Nadda is expected to launch the first rath yatra on February 6. All five rath yatras have been named parivartan yatras.
Union home minister Amit Shah, who had to cancel his two-day visit to the eastern poll-bound state on January 30 and January 31 because of the explosion near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi on Friday, is also likely to come to Bengal and launch at least two rath yatras next week.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely to come to West Bengal on February 7 to attend a programme in Haldia in east Midnapore.
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“We are planning to organise five rath yatras in the five organisational zones in West Bengal. Each yatra will run for at least 20-25 days and together cover all the 294 assembly constituencies in February and March,” said a senior BJP leader.
The BJP has sought permission from the state secretariat at Nabanna and a letter was sent to the state’s chief secretary on Monday seeking his appointment.
“Along with each rath yatra, multiple padyatras will be organised to bolster the campaign ahead of the assembly elections and boost the morale of the party workers and supporters. It will be a mega outreach programme,” said a senior party leader.
Buoyed by its impressive gains in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when the party won 18 of the 42 seats, the BJP has set a target of winning more than 200 seats in the 294-seat legislative assembly.
“It is their own party programme and they can do whatever they want after taking the due police permission. But it will fetch them no advantage and they will lose the elections. They will not be able to reach three digits in the elections,” said Saugata Roy
Elections can be held in March-April this year and the poll dates can be announced any time in February, according to officials in the poll panel.
While the first rath yatra will be launched on February 6 from Nabadwip and will culminate at Barrackpore, the next two will be launched on February 8 from Cooch Behar in north Bengal and Kakdwip in south Bengal. The last two will be launched on February 9 from Jhargram and Tarapith in south Bengal.
