BHUBANESWAR: With the West Bengal Assembly election drawing close, the BJP has deployed a strong contingent of leaders from Odisha to bolster its campaign, particularly targeting the influential Odia-speaking voter base in key constituencies.
The party has mobilised an extensive team of star campaigners including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, eight ministers, over 40 MLAs, MPs and senior leaders from the state who have been concentrating in constitueincies with sizeable Odia-speaking population, aiming to consolidate support for the BJP candidates.
On April 2, the chief minister had actively participated in rallies and nomination roadshows in Birbhum, appealing to voters to support BJP candidates while launching sharp attacks on the Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee.
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan along with state Higher Education minister Suryabanshi Suraj has been entrusted with overseeing campaign activities in South and North Kolkata, including the politically significant Bhabanipur, considered to be a stronghold of Banerjee. They have intensified outreach efforts, engaging with Odia voters and holding a series of public meetings.
Apart from them, state Rural Development minister Rabinarayan Nayak, School and Mass Education minister Nityanada Gond and several ministers and legislatiors from Mayurbhanj, Kenojhar, Balasore, Bhadrak and Kendrapara are actively campaigning across West Bengal.
Prominent MLA faces such as Himanshu Sahu, Amar Nayak, Santosh Khatua, Manas Dutta, Fakir Mohan Nayak, Siddhanta Mahapatra and Akash Das Nayak have been seen canvassing support for BJP candidates.
Gond has been campaigning in favour of BJP leader Dibyendu Adhikari, brother of Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. Meanwhile, BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi has been spearheading campaign efforts in East and West Medinipur districts, accompanied by senior party functionaries.
Pradhan on Monday held a roadshow in support of BJP candidate for the Kharagpur Sadar Assembly constituency Dilip Ghose and offered prayers at the Maa Samaleswari Temple there on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. He expressed confidence that the people of West Bengal would vote for change.
Polling in West Bengal is scheduled in phases, with the first round on April 23 and the second on April 29.