With an eye on next year's assembly polls, Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah is set to address the people of West Bengal through a "virtual rally" on Tuesday.
The BJP’s state unit has prepared a ‘nine-point agenda’ highlighting the nine major failures of the Mamata Banerjee government in the state which has been in power for nine years.
Shah is likely to hit out at the TMC government even as his focus would remain on the achievements of the Narendra Modi 2.0 government.
“Out of the 88,000 booths, we will at least be able to connect 65,000 booths with this live streaming. At least 10 people per booth can connect through one phone and that's what we're hoping to do. Our workers are also trying to connect families with Shah through our online connect. Several parts of the state are reeling still under zero or very poor internet connectivity. In these areas, we are trying to see if people can listen to the Home Minister's address via audio. We hope to connect a crore people in the state through this vital address," Raju Banerjee, BJP's state Vice President, told CNN-News18.
Newly appointed BJP Yuva Morcha state chief and Lok Sabha MP, Saumitra Khan, said, "It is indeed an honour for our party state unit that Amit Shah will be addressing us at this crucial juncture. The people of Bengal are completely fed up of the misrule of the Mamata Banerjee government."
Babul Supriyo, Minister of State for Heavy Industries, the initiative of virtual rallies would help people connect with the Home Minister while sitting in the confines of their houses. Taking a jibe at Banerjee, he said, "Amit Shah will prove that despite being miles away we are still connected with the people of Bengal, even as some (Banerjee) remain distant from reality and public sentiment."
Lashing out at the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state, the Bengal MP from Asansol added, "We don't need lessons from them. Their politics is brazen and anti-people. Even in a calamity like Cyclone Amphan, the amount quoted by Mamata Banerjee from the Centre for recovery for damages may also include her party funding for 2021 Assembly polls. But people will soon teach her a lesson."
The BJP has launched a mega drive of virtual rallies from various parts of the country. Top Union Ministers will reach out to people through social media and digital platforms to highlight the achievement of the Narendra Modi government that completed its first year of second term on May 30.
Shah’s the last rally in Kolkata was held on March 1 in support of the Citizenship Amendment Bill at Shahid Minar. It was under his leadership as the BJP chief that BJP in 2019 rose to being a party of 18 MPs from a mere two in 2014.
Earlier, too, Shah has assured the state unit led by Dilip Ghosh that he would spend a considerable time with them as they build up to 2021 state polls. The constant run-ins between Banerjee and Home Minister and others have been a regular feature. The governor of Bengal and Banerjee also do not have the best of political relations.
Shah held a rally in Bihar on Sunday to launch these rallies and on Monday he will address the people of Odisha. On Monday evening, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address people from Northern Maharastra. Senior minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will address a rally in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday and Smriti Irani will virtually connect with Uttrakhand on Tuesday.
On Thursday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar will address the people of Gujarat, while Nitin Gadkari will focus on Madhya Pradesh. Party's Secretary (Organization) BL Santhosh, who addressed a virtual rally on Sunday from his home in Karnataka, will address another one in Meghalaya this weekend. Junior Home Min G Kishen Reddy is also scheduled to hold a rally for the people of Tripura this week.
These rallies are being held in two phases. Party President JP Nadda will take centre stage in the second phase and is expected to address at least half a dozen virtual rallies across the country.
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