After roping in senior leaders like Kailash Vijayvargiya, Prahlad Patel and Narottam Mishra for the West Bengal assembly polls, the BJP will use the services of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as well.
Chouhan will take part in the party’s Parivartan Rally in Howrah on Sunday and left for Kolkata on Saturday evening.
Chouhan, who bounced back to power last year in March after losing to Congress in 2018, had been a different version of himself in his fourth term.
Sources claim that Chouhan’s rallies and public meetings are also scheduled in Bengal on March 2.
Chouhan had put up a stern front when processions collecting donations for the Ram temple were attacked, especially in Ujjain. He had ordered the demolition of a house used to pelt stones at devotees. His government has also spoken about a law for those participating in stone-pelting.
Madhya Pradesh also followed Uttar Pradesh in formulating a law against forceful religious conversion.
Chouhan’s attempts are also seen as a ploy to woo ‘sawarnas’ who had been apparently angered earlier due to his stand on SC/ST Act and reservation policy.
But Chouhan’s new avatar seems to have struck a chord with the party central leadership.
The Congress is likely to field state party chief Kamal Nath in the Bengal polls since he is quite a known face in the state. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel will also campaign in Bengal on Sunday.