KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address three public rallies in March's first week in the southern part of Sandeshkhali stir-hit West Bengal, sources said.
The PM’s unscheduled Bengal visit before the Election Commission (EC)’s Lok Sabha schedule announcement has triggered murmurs that Modi will kick off the saffron party’s election campaign in the state when it is witnessing people’s uprise against the ruling Trinamool Congress in the North 24 Parganas island.
“The Prime Minister will address two rallies on March 1 and March 2 in Arambagh and Krishnagar respectively, and the third one will be at North 24 Parganas’ Barasat on March 6,” said a BJP leader.
The timing of the PM’s schedule is said to be politically significant in the backdrop of the massive agitation by the locals in Sandeshkhali accusing the TMC satraps of abusing women of the island sexually which has become a national outcry.
The EC’s full bench is scheduled to visit the state in the last week of February before announcing the schedule for the general elections.
Among the three places where Modi will address, two are in the TMC’s Lok Sabha constituencies Krishnagar and Barasat.
“Our party has targeted both the seats to snatch from Mamata Banerjee. The TMC is on the backfoot after its elected MP Mahua Moitra from Krishnagar was suspended from Lok Sabha in a cash-for-question scandal. Though Sandeshkhali is in the Basirhat LS constituency, Barasat is adjoining to the strife-hit area and this is why our party decided to organise the event at the North 24 Parganas headquarters,” said the BJP leader.
The saffron camp is planning to bring the victims of alleged sexual abuse in Sandeshkhali to Modi’s event at Barasat to give a clear and sound message that the party is all set the utilise the issue as its key poll plank in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
