The much-anticipated meeting between the officials of the West Bengal government and senior BJP leadership over its proposed rath yatra in the State ended without any conclusion on Thursday.
State BJP leadership led by president Dilip Ghosh, party’s national secretary Kaliash Vijayvargiya and leader Mukul Roy held a meeting with the State Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary and the Director General of Police at Lalbazar police headquarters during the day as instructed by the Calcutta High Court.
No concrete decision about the yatra was taken during the day.
Political fortunes
The BJP is pinning much hope of reviving its political fortunes in the State on these yatras.
“The yatra will be held along its route but there can be change in the schedule. We have asked the police to inform us in advance so that we can inform our central leadership,” Mr. Ghosh told journalists after the meeting.
The Calcutta High Court had directed the State government to hold a meeting with the BJP officials on the proposed rath yatra in the State.
Dampened enthusiasm
The development on Thursday clearly indicated that the BJP’s enthusiasm with the rath yatra is not the same as it had displayed before the results of the Assembly elections in five States were declared.
The BJP leadership had passionately contested the State government’s denial to the permission to its yatra in the Calcutta High Court in the first week of December. As of Thursday, the schedule of the yatra remains unclear.
Sources in the State BJP said that the rath yatra might be curtailed.
Earlier, three raths were scheduled to tour all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the State for a period of 40 days.
Schedule changed
In the present circumstances, the rath yatra cannot be held more than 20 days and the number of raths may also be curtailed, party officials said.
The State administration is likely to postpone the matter and allow permission in January 2019, after the Christmas holiday.
BJP president Amit Shah was scheduled to launch the yatra on December 7 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to address a rally on December 16. The State BJP has postponed the Prime Minister’s visit and there is no clear idea when senior leadership of the party will visit the State.