Kharagpur, 19 April (H.S.):

The Assembly election campaign in West Bengal has entered a frenetic phase, with multiple political parties converging on Paschim Medinipur and Jhargram districts for back‑to‑back public meetings. Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a “Vijay Sankalp” (Victory Resolve) mass rally at Belada Stadium in Narayangarh, Paschim Medinipur, before moving to Jhargram for another major public gathering.

The Prime Minister’s rally at Belada Stadium is being billed as a high‑traction event, aimed at consolidating support for Bharatiya Janata Party candidates in the hinterland belts of Midnapore. The venue, located in the Narayangarh Assembly constituency, has already seen intense campaigning by key regional and national leaders, underscoring its symbolic importance in the BJP’s push to wrest control of the region from the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Elsewhere in the district, a “Vijay Sankalp” public meeting was held in the Kalyanpur area of Dantan to shore up support for BJP candidate Ajit Kumar Jana. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha addressed the gathering, targeting the Left‑backed opposition and highlighting rising unemployment and incidents of violence under the current state government. Saha urged voters to “vote for change” in the upcoming elections, describing the Assembly polls as a decisive moment to alter West Bengal’s political trajectory.

In Jhargram district, campaigning has also gathered momentum. On Saturday, actor and GHATRA (Ghatashila‑cum‑Taldangra) MP Dev (Deepak Adhikari) addressed a public rally in the Nayagram Assembly constituency in support of Trinamool Congress candidate Dulal Murmu.

The event reinforced the party’s efforts to retain foothold in the tribal‑dominant pockets of West Medinipur and Jhargram.

Meanwhile, in the Jhapatapur area of Kharagpur, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav presided over a large public rally in support of BJP leader Dilip Ghosh. The rally witnessed a strong turnout of local Yadav community members, many of whom arrived in traditional attire and performed a spirited display of lathi‑khel (stick dance), blending cultural symbolism with political messaging.

The performance was widely interpreted as an attempt by the BJP to strengthen its social‑coalition base among backward and OBC communities along the South Bengal corridor.

BJP’s state heavyweight Shubendu Adhikari, whose own high‑stakes contest in Nandigram continues to draw national attention, also crisscrossed the region for electioneering. He held roadshows and smaller rallies in his Nandigram Assembly constituency, underscoring the party’s dual‑front strategy: combining Prime Minister‑led mega‑rallies with intensive local‑level mobilisation ahead of the crucial Assembly polls.

With the Election Commission’s schedule pointing to multiple phases of voting and a counting date set for early May this year, political activity in West Medinipur and adjoining districts is expected to peak in the coming days, even as parties lock horns over development, law‑and‑order, and identity‑centric narratives.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar