Kolkata, 29 December (H.S.) : With the West Bengal Assembly elections due next year, the Bharatiya Janata Party has stepped up its political activity in the state. In this backdrop, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is arriving in Kolkata this evening for a three-day visit, which is being viewed as crucial for the party’s electoral preparations. Notably, Shah will spend December 31, the last day of the year, in West Bengal, underlining the political significance of the visit.

According to a statement issued by the BJP, Amit Shah is scheduled to land at Kolkata airport at around 7:30 pm on Monday. From the airport, he will head straight to the party’s state headquarters in Salt Lake, where he will review the organisational preparedness for the upcoming Assembly elections. Senior party leaders and office-bearers will be present at the meeting, with discussions expected on ground-level feedback, cadre mobilisation and election strategy.

During his stay, the Union Home Minister is slated to hold a series of key meetings with party workers at different levels to assess the BJP’s readiness for the polls. A closed-door meeting with functionaries of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is also on the agenda. Sources indicate that the political situation in Bengal and coordination for the elections may figure prominently in these discussions.

Shah is also expected to meet BJP legislators, Members of Parliament and councillors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation separately. These meetings are likely to focus on strengthening the party’s urban base and sharpening its organisational outreach in the state capital.

On December 30, Amit Shah may address a press conference in Kolkata, where he is expected to outline the party’s stand on state politics, the forthcoming Assembly elections and key issues related to governance and development.

On December 31, the Union Home Minister is likely to visit a site or residence associated with a prominent Bengali icon or cultural figure, although the final details of this programme are yet to be confirmed.

Overall, Amit Shah’s visit is being seen as a major political exercise by the BJP ahead of the crucial Assembly elections. Through a packed schedule of meetings and reviews in the final days of the year, the party leadership appears determined to leave no stone unturned in strengthening its organisation and sharpening its strategy for the battle ahead in West Bengal.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh