From Nadda to Modi, BJP Adds Star Power to ‘Semi-Final’ Panchayat Polls With 40 Rallies; TMC Unmoved

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda will campaign in Bengal this year as the BJP shifts focus to the state ahead of the panchayat elections.

Sources told CNN-News18 that the party will hold 40 big rallies across Bengal. To kick off the campaign, Nadda will be in East Medinipur — known to be Suvendu Adhikari’s bastion. Nandigram too lies in East Medinipur and political experts say the BJP president’s meeting here will be significant.

After Nadda, Shah and PM Modi will hold meetings in Bengal, the sources added.

Party insiders say BJP feels it did well in the 2019 elections since it started its campaign aggressively from the 2018 panchayat polls. This time, too, the party plans to bring high-profile campaigners from January itself to not just help with the panchayat polls but also lay the groundwork for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a senior leader of Bengal BJP said.

Apart from the top three leaders, Bengal’s BJP cadre has been asked to travel across the state to reach out to people. State president Sukanto Majumdar and senior leader Suvendhu Adhikari have begun their recce in every district.

Not just the BJP, the TMC too has launched its mega panchayat campaign “Didir Suraksha Kawach”.

Talking about the BJP’s outreach, National General Secretary of TMC, Abhishek Banerjee said: “Why are they doing 40 rallies? They can do 400 rallies. This is not Tripura that the Opposition will not be allowed to practise their politics. When they come, they should also think of the money due to Bengal from the Centre.”

The panchayat election is being seen as the semi-final for the 2024 polls and both the ruling party and Opposition are readying their arsenal for the big fight.​

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