Kolkata: At a time when the BJP state unit is emphasising outreach programmes to overcome organisational weaknesses, speculation was rife over whether Union Home minister Amit Shah’s scheduled visit to the ISKCON temple in Mayapur on Wednesday is part of the party’s religion-based outreach ahead of the crucial upcoming Assembly polls.
The Bengal BJP, however, has described Shah’s visit as devotional in nature. The saffron camp in the state, which has been grappling with factionalism and organisational weaknesses, is putting in all efforts to make an impression in the 2026 Assembly polls.
It has launched a “Yuva Adda” campaign from Tuesday, under which party leaders are to meet and interact with voters over tea in localities. The campaign will continue till February 25 and aims to intensify public coordination.
Shah is expected to undertake a brief visit to the ISKCON Temple at Mayapur to attend a religious programme, with no political events included in his itinerary, according to
BJP sources.
The Bengal BJP claimed that this will be one of Shah’s shortest trips to the state in recent months, lasting around two hours at the temple complex in Nadia. As per the tentative schedule, Shah is expected to arrive at Kolkata airport in the afternoon and travel to Mayapur by helicopter.
The Bengal BJP is adopting similar strategies to those of the ruling TMC as it steps up preparations ahead
of the crucial Assembly polls. Party leaders and BJP MLAs have been instructed to intensify coordination with voters at the booth level. MLAs have been urged to cover at least five booths every day and engage directly with local residents.
Meanwhile, in a parallel development, Kasturi Giswami, daughter of Khiti Goswami, joined BJP Suvendu Adhikari and state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya. Khiti Ghoswami was an RSP leader and a minister of the erstwhile Left Front government.
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Tuesday said that their party is gearing up to launch its “Paribartan Yatra”, a statewide mobilisation campaign on March 1 and it will cover a stretch of around 5000 kms while touching each Assembly segment.