KOLKATA: The BJP leadership in West Bengal has sought reports from its district units and state-level leaders on the party's mass outreach programme especially on the contentious issues of the National Register of Citizens and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill during the Durga Puja festival.
According to state BJP sources, the party had asked its leaders and cadres to enhance outreach for spreading the party's ideology and policies by using the platform of the festival.
The saffron party this time had set up more than 10,000 stalls outside puja pandals to display books on its ideology and making people aware of the NRC and the CAB.
"We have sought detailed reports from all the districts and state-level leaders about how the festival was utilised to increase the party's mass connect. We are hopeful of getting a full report by early next week," BJP state general secretary Pratap Banerjee told PTI.
A senior BJP leader on condition of anonymity said the inputs on issues such as the NRC and the CAB were necessary as the proposed implementation of the NRC in West Bengal has created panic among the masses.
"During our recent meeting with our party president Amit Shah, he had clearly emphasised on campaigning about the CAB in the state.
During the Durga Puja, we spread awareness about the CAB and tried to dispel fears and confusion among the people on the NRC," a senior state BJP leader said.
The BJP-TMC turf war in Bengal had intensified this festive season, with the two parties leaving no stone unturned to outsmart each other in controlling the city's big-ticket pujas and reaching out to as many people as possible.
The BJP in the last few years has made deep inroads in the state and emerged as the main challenger to the ruling TMC by pushing the Congress and the Left Front to distant third and fourth position respectively.
The BJP in 2019 Parliamentary election bagged 18 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, just four less than the ruling TMC.
The TMC's tally came down from 34 in 2014 to 22 seats in this election.