Kolkata: Three days after Mamata Banerjee’s mega anti-BJP rally in the city, the BJP top brass, including PM Modi and party president Amit Shah, will feature in back-to-back rallies across the state from Jan 22 to Feb 8.
Speaking to News18, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, “Amit ji’s first rally will be held on January 22 at Malda district. On January 23, he will address two rallies in Jhargram and in Suri in Birbhum district. On January 24, we will request a union minister (probably Smriti Irani because Amit ji is not well) to address public meetings at Krishnanagar in Nadia district and Joynagar in South 24 Parganas district.”
He added, “Initially, there was a plan to hold Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meet at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground (where Mamata held a rally on January 19). But central leadership feel that time is too short to organise such a rally. Therefore, we have decided to organise three separate rallies at Siliguri, Thakuragar (North 24-Parganas) and in Asansol on January 28, January 31 and on February 8 where our PM will address public meetings.”
In another development, the saffron party alleged that the Bengal government has denied permission to land Amit Shah’s chopper at the Malda airstrip on January 22.
“Malda administration (on January 18) claimed that due to the upgradation of the airstrip Amit ji’s chopper cannot land there. This is harassment and nothing else. The ruling government is misusing the police for their political interest. We then made alternative arrangements. Now, his chopper will land on the private helipad of Golden Park Hotels and Resorts, in Malda,” Ghosh said.
Responding to the BJP’s allegations, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “Permission was not given at the Malda airstrip due to security reasons. The police gave permission to land his chopper at another place (in Malda). These are security issues. It happened with me also several times. They are misleading people.”
The BJP is hoping to win 22 Parliamentary seats out of 42 in Bengal. The party presently has two Lok Sabha seats (Asansol and Darjeeling) in the state.
The TMC, on the other hand, is eyeing a wider political space and is looking forward to play an important role to fight against the saffron brigade ahead of the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
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