#2019Polls: BJP to take out 3 rath yatras in WB
(PTI desk)
With an eye on the next Lok Sabha polls, the West Bengal BJP unit would take out three rath yatras covering all the 42 Parliamentary Constituencies of the State. West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the rath yatras would be held in December, but campaign for the program will begin just after Durga Puja. Each rath yatra will cover 14 Lok Sabha constituencies.
First yatra will start on December 3, Shah may attend
"The first rath yatra will start from the temple town of Tarapith (Birbhum district) on December-3. Party President Amit Shah is likely to take part in it," Ghosh said. "He's very keen on taking part in all three yatras. But his dates need to be worked out. Union Ministers, CMs of BJP-ruled states and senior leaders will also participate in the rallies," he added.
Modi will also address massive rally in Kolkata next year
The second rath yatra from Namkhana-Gangasagar in South 24 Parganas district would begin on December 5 and the last one from Cooch Behar would start from December 7, Ghosh said. "At the end of January, we have a plan to hold a massive rally in Kolkata which will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the WB BJP President said.
BJP had set target of winning 22 seats in WB
BJP sources said decision of rath yatras was taken during Shah's two-day visit to the State in June. Shah had set a target of winning 22 seats in West Bengal. Road-side meetings, social media campaigns and rallies will also be done as part of campaigning.
"West Bengal people are fed up with TMC regime"
"Bengal is of immense importance for our party presently as people are fed up with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime. We need to win maximum number of seats from Eastern and Northeastern India, especially Bengal," a senior BJP leader said. The party presently has two Lok Sabha seats, Asansol and Darjeeling. Meanwhile, WB BJP has prepared its Lok Sabha blueprint, targeting 26-28 Parliamentary seats.
In North, South Bengal, BJP has 60-70% chances of winning
The 28 seats where the BJP's chances of winning is more than 60 to 70% are spread across North Bengal, South Bengal and tribal-dominated districts of Junglemahal, the senior BJP leader said. Some of these seats are Balurghat, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Malda North in North Bengal and Purulia, Jhargram, Medinipur, Krishnagar, Howrah in South Bengal, he added.
