Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on his Lok Sabha election campaign in West Bengal on Saturday, several weeks before the announcement of the poll schedule. He will address two rallies in the State, first at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas, and the second at Durgapur.
The reason, as declared by the BJP, is to capture half of the State’s 42 Lok Sabha seats, the third highest among the States.
Mr. Modi is expected to address close to “100 rallies” in Bengal and the Northeast in the run-up to the poll, as the region has 67 seats, with 84% located in Bengal and Assam. But it’s not just the BJP embarking on a campaign trail; the united Left Front is also bringing in its star campaigners to kick-start its campaign from the city’s mega rally venue — the Brigade Parade Ground — on Sunday.
The BJP’s poll strategy, according to party insiders, is three-pronged. First, it is planning to routinely fly in big leaders to campaign in the State.
Second, the party is identifying and areas to engage its workers and leaders. One such area is Thakurnagar, the headquarters of the predominantly Dalit refugees from Bangladesh over decades, where Mr. Modi will address his first public rally amid the citizenship Bill controversy. The Prime Minister will then fly to Durgapur which falls under Asansol, a seat last bagged by the BJP.
Third, the BJP is planning to place its cadres booth-wise and also pressurise the Election Commission to deploy more Central paramilitary forces in the State.
Social media campaign
The Left Front has launched a massive social media campaign to make its Brigade rally on Sunday a success. While former CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has said the rally would “pave the way for a bigger resistance”, the CPI(M)’s social media managers have specially designed and posted a series of videos, songs and interviews. The event has gained momentum and the Left leaders are hopeful that it will be able to give the united Opposition rally “a run for money”.
The PM, too, is expected to address a Brigade rally on February 8.