Business Standard

Monday, December 23, 2024 | 03:37 AM ISTEN Hindi

Notification Icon
userprofile IconSearch

Amit Shah's West Bengal 'Mission 2016'

To kickstart civic poll campaign in November, learning Bengali

Probal Basak Kolkata
After Maharashtra and Haryana show, BJP President Amit Shah -- considered to be the "man of the match" in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls-- has set sight on West Bengal. Shah is not only kickstarting the party's campaign for the upcoming election in Kolkata Municipality (KMC) and other civic bodies in the state with a rally on November 30 in the city. He is also learning Bengali to interact better with the local cadres in future - an effort, in which many foresee the hitherto successful "Amit Shah model" coming to the state in the 2016 assembly elections.

Shah has already announced BJP's "Mission 2016" for West Bengal, the elections to Kolkata Muncipality (KMC) as well other civic bodies across the state will be a reality check for the party. The campaign tone will be set on November 30. Although the venue is not decided, in all probability, it is likely to take place at Shahid Minar grounds in the heart of the city.

 

"Amitji always tries to speak to the cadres himself and inspire them. This is why he tries to learn and speak the language, wherever he works. Amitji is coming to show us the way forward with his rally later in the month. People now know it is BJP, which can end this misrule of TMC. Civic polls will be the first step for the final battle in 2016. We are confident about fulfilling our mission under the leadership of Prme Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah," state BJP president Rahul Sinha said.

The civic poll elections in West Bengal is likely to take place in January 2015. However, ahead of that it is not only Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will also address a public rally in Kolkata in December at an event of Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Sources said, it would be a first rally of this scale in Kolkata by RSS chief. The venue would be the Maidan in the heart of the city on December 20.

"This is not a BJP event. But, RSS is our guiding spirit. Mohan Bhagwat's address would surely inspire us," Sinha added. Bhagwat is likely to speak on issues like illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Mamata Banerjee-government's alleged "soft approach" on terror issues in the wake of the Barddhaman blast last month.

BJP too is also planning to make the terror and Saradha as the main campaign issue for the civic body election as well as assembly election in 2016."Amitji last time told us if TMC can win an election over land acqusition issue that affected a few hundred unwilling farmers, BJP should also be able to do so over Saradha scam that affected several thousands of people in the state," a senior BJP laeder said.

So far as KMC elections is concerned, BJP is confident of putting a challenge to TMC especially in the wake of 2014 Lok Sabha election where BJP candidates finished second to TMC in both Kolkata North and Kolkata South constituencies. CPI-M and Congress candidates were a distant third and fourth in both the seats in Lok Sabha.

Though TMC had won in 97 wards in 2010 lead in the 141-member KMC board, in view of the Lok Sabha poll results BJP is ahead of Trinamool Congress in 47 out of 141 wards.

Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel

First Published: Nov 04 2014 | 5:32 PM IST

Explore News