Decoding Nadda's First Visit to North Bengal as BJP Chief & Relevance Ahead of 2021 Assembly Polls

BJP chief JP Nadda is all set to visit North Bengal on Monday and address party workers in Siliguri in a significant step by the saffron party to prepare for the 2021 assembly polls.

This will be the first time that Nadda will tour the poll-bound state after taking on from Amit Shah as party chief early this year.

State in-charge and general secretary Kailash Vijayavargiya, vice-president Mukul Roy, MPs Locket Chatterjee, Nisith Pramanik, Raju Bista and a host of others will join Nadda as he makes a day-long visit.

Nadda will interact with booth to district-level presidents, giving them guidance on how to contest the assembly polls. A total of 54 assembly seats come under this area with about 300 booths each covering eight districts. The number of people allowed will, however, be restricted in accordance with the Covid-19 protocols.

The saffron party has made significant inroads in North Bengal and won seven of the eight Lok Sabha seats in 2019. Nadda is expected to guide them on how to approach the assembly polls and devise a strategy to take on a Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, aggressively. He is also likely to remind the cadre of the work done by the Narendra Modi government in the Centre and how Bengal has been a key focus for the government. The focus on Rajbangshi votes will be highlighted as it can play a key role in securing this belt, thus Nadda garlanding the statue of Thakur Panchanan Barma is a symbolic step.

When he lands at about 11am, he will be accorded a huge welcome at the Bagdogra Airport. This is to be followed by ‘Shraddhanjali’ and garlanding the statue of Thakur Pancham Barma at Nauka Ghat and then a puja at Anandamayee Kalibari Mandir.

Close to 1pm, Nadda will attend the party meeting and following that a meeting with prominent citizens and representatives from various communities and local stakeholders at Hotel Saffron Crest in Siliguri.

The party will broadcast all of Nadda’s addresses live on their social media platforms.