Amit Shah calls for booth-level push ahead of panchayat polls

Union Home Minister Amit Shah being felicitated during a public meeting, at Suri in Birbhum district, Friday, April 14, 2023. BJP WB President Sukanta Majumdar is also seen. (PTI Photo)

During a core committee meeting on Friday night, Shah told party leaders to strengthen BJP’s presence at the grassroots and form booth-level committees, leaders said.

According to a senior party leader, focus must be laid on outreach programmes while highlighting the ‘corruption under the TMC government”.

“He directed us to ensure that the party wins more seats in the state during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections…He expressed his dissatisfaction at the progress of the

organisation at the grassroots and directed the state leadership to ensure booth committees are formed ahead of Lok Sabha polls. Workers are our strength and emphasis must be given to maximise their output. The Bengal BJP unit must focus on building booth-level committees ahead of the panchayat polls,” the party leader added.

“Amit Shah told party workers to keep up the pressure on the TMC government and not concede any ground to the Left Front which won the Sagardighi Assembly bypoll recently.”

Party sources said that Shah may visit Bengal again on a two-day tour in May. “Though the schedule of his visit is not yet finalised, he is likely to address a public meeting on May 8 and attend a cultural programme in Kolkata organised to mark the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore the next day,” a source said.

“We have requested the home minister to come here often and he has expressed his desire to come. However, nothing has been finalised as of yet. A public meeting and a cultural event on Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s birthday are being planned,” said a senior BJP leader.

On the first day of his visit to Bengal, the Union minister targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for failing to stop the clashes that broke out in Howrah and Hooghly districts during Ram Navami processions. He asserted that if the BJP comes to power in the state, no one will be allowed to attack such processions.