Amit Shah, JP Nadda to launch Parivartan Rath Yatras in poll-bound Bengal

Union home minister Amit Shah and Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda would be launching five mega Parivartan Rath Yatras this month, in the party’s campaign for the crucial assembly elections in West Bengal..

While Nadda is scheduled to flag off the first rath yatra from Nadabdwip town in south Bengal’s Nadia district on February 6, Shah is expected to launch one on February 11, from Cooch Behar district in north Bengal.

“The modalities of two rath yatras have been finalised. More discussions are being held on the remaining three yatras,” said Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP’s national general secretary and the party’s in-charge for West Bengal.

Nadda would be then revisiting the state on February 9 when two more rath yatras are scheduled to be launched. The last rath yatra for the Kolkata zone would take off from Kakdwip in south Bengal, but its date is yet to be finalised.

Each yatra would have a 20 - 25 day run and together, they would cover all the 294 assembly constituencies in February and March. Apart from the five yatras, one from each organisational zone of the party, multiple padyatras would also be held.

The party has sought permission from the state secretariat at Nabanna and a letter was sent to the state’s chief secretary on Monday seeking his appointment.

“We have sought permission from the state government. We may move court if necessary and would also think of some alternatives. But as of now, we are waiting for permission,” said Dilip Ghosh, president of the party’s unit in West Bengal.

Buoyed by its impressive gains in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls where the party won 18 of the 42 seats, the BJP has set a target of more than 200 seats in the 294-seated legislative assembly.

Elections could be held in March-April this year and the poll dates could be announced anytime in February, according to officials in the poll panel.