West Bengal Assembly Election: Prime Minister Modi will address some 20 demonstrations in Bengal up to the polls.
Calcutta:
The city’s famous Brigade Parade Ground is preparing for a massive public demonstration to be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. This is his first visit to West Bengal since the dates of the State Assembly elections were announced last week, although he has already been here at least three times in recent months. What could add sparkle to the event is the possibility of popular actor Mithun Chakraborty joining it. Having been evasive when first asked about it yesterday, the party’s state in charge, Kailash Vijayavargiya, met the star later that day at his residence in the capital city of Belgium.
“I spoke to him (Mithun Chakraborty) on the phone, he will come today. I will be able to make a comment only after a detailed discussion with him,” Vijayavargiya said later.
Regardless, Chakraborty, 70, won’t be the only one gracing the stage today, if BJP sources are to be believed. The event is likely to include many popular artists as well, ANI reported. Along with the 72-foot-long main stage, two other stages have also been installed, one for the Tollywood actors and one for other important personalities. The other two stages are 48 feet long, 24 feet wide, and 7 feet high.
In addition to Mr. Vijayavargiya, other BJP officials overseeing the rally include National Vice President Mukul Roy, Secretary General Sanjay Singh and Rajya Sabha Swapan Dasgupta.
More than 1,500 CCTV cameras have been installed throughout the city for security purposes. Drone cameras will also be used to monitor the site. The rally is expected to be attended by at least 7 lakh people, sources told ANI. Three main barricades have been strategically placed towards the main stage for security reasons. Barricades and a helipad have been set up at the Hippodrome near Brigade Ground.
This is likely to be the first of 20 prime minister rallies across the state in the run-up to the elections, BJP sources told ANI. It comes one day after the party announced its first list of 57 candidates for the polls and two days after the current Trinamool Congress announced its own 291 candidates, leaving three for its ally Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
Elections for the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly are scheduled to be held in eight phases from March 27 to April 29 and the results will be declared on May 2.
After winning three seats in the 2016 Assembly elections, the BJP had made profound advances in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, winning 18 of the 42 seats and reducing the number of Trinamool to 22. Congress won two while the left got none.
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