Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are visiting West Bengal today.
Kolkata:
Politically, it’s a double-barrel Sunday in Bengal today – both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be in the state campaigning for BJP. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will address three separate rallies herself. The show-stealer, though, could be an 80-year-old Trinamool veteran likely to join the BJP even as the opposition party releases its poll manifesto.
Keeping up the pressure on the ruling dispensation, the BJP is once again parading its big guns in the state. Over the past year, it has poured considerable time and resource into Bengal,where it sees a strong opportunity to replace Ms Banerjee’s Trinamool government in the upcoming election. The party is evaluating its strategy following statewide rebellion in its ranks over its candidate list over the past week. At least three late night meetings have been held by its top brass in Kolkata and Delhi to address the fallout.
PM Modi was in Bengal just yesterday where, at a rally in Kharagpur, he attacked both Mamata Banerjee and nephew Abhishek Banerjee. Reportedly scheduled to hold 20 rallies through the poll run-up, he will today address a gathering at Bankura.
Mr Shah will attend one at Egra shortly after noon and then hold a workers meeting at Mecheda, both in East Midnapore district, the reputed stronghold of Trinamool rebel Suvendu Adhikari.
The Chief Minister, who injured her foot in Nandigram, has shown no signs of slowing down. In her signature style, she has met all the barbs thrown at her word for caustic word till now. Today, she will head at least three rallies in East Midnapore district.
All eyes are also on octogenarian Sisir Adhikari. The veteran Trinamool leader is the father of party rebel Suvendu Adhikari who last year crossed over to the BJP and has since been severely critical of his former mentor. Mr Adhikari and Ms Banerjee are now facing off electorally in the Nandigram constituency.
Sisir Adhikari, though, had remained with the Trinamool and is its MP. A former Union minister under the Manmohan Singh government, he has remained silent during the duels between his son and his boss. Now, though, it appears he, too, has been persuaded to change sides. He is set to share the dais with Mr Shah at Egra and perhaps even join the BJP.
Mr Shah, meanwhile, will release his party’s manifesto for West Bengal in the evening around 5.30 pm in Kolkata.
The Assembly polls in West Bengal will be held across eight phases from March 27 to April 29. The results will be declared on May 2.