Kolkata, Feb 27 (PTI) Ahead of the upcoming West Bengal polls, the BJP will launch a statewide outreach programme, ‘Paribartan Yatra’, from March 1 to 10, covering over 5,000 km across multiple constituencies, party leaders said on Friday.
The outreach is aimed at “unmasking the misrule of the ruling establishment and converting into votes the growing discontentment among masses about the corruption and appeasement policies of the ruling party in Bengal,” several state BJP leaders told a press conference here.
The campaign will consist of nine ‘Paribartan Rath Yatras’ traversing different regions of the state, including Siliguri, Malda, Nabadwip, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah-Hooghly, Medinipur, Purulia and Bardhaman divisions.
Party leaders said the initiative is designed to strengthen grassroots engagement and address local concerns across districts.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the campaign from Raidighi in South 24 Parganas, while BJP president Nitin Nabin will flag off another leg from Krishnanagar in Nadia.
Other senior leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister Annapurna Devi, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, will lead yatras in different districts.
Pradhan will launch the campaign from Garbeta, and the North Bengal stretch will start from Cooch Behar under the leadership of Nabin.
On March 2, Shah is expected to launch the yatra from Raidighi in South 24 Parganas, a district where the BJP has no MLA, and widely seen as a TMC bastion and political turf of party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
Rajnath Singh is slated to launch the campaign either from Amta in Howrah or Sandeshkhali, the latter having drawn national attention in recent times over allegations of crimes against women and land-related disputes.
Annapurna Devi will lead the yatra from Kulti in Asansol, while Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will kick-off proceedings from Birbhum.
The campaign will pause briefly on March 3 and 4 due to Holi celebrations and resume full steam on March 5.
The drive will culminate in a mega rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address supporters.
Briefing reporters here, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said the yatra will focus on alleged corruption under the TMC and advocate the party’s alternative vision for governance in West Bengal.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said the yatra will cover one crore people and expose what the party described as the TMC government’s pro-appeasement policies, alleged political and religious violence targeting opposition supporters and Hindus, and facilitation of “anti-national elements” through fake Aadhaar cards, which he claimed threatened state and national security.
Adhikari added that the party would prioritise the security of women who feel unsafe under the TMC administration, asserting that the yatra would turn the anti-establishment sentiment into a “people’s tsunami.” The leaders said the campaign will feature 64 major meetings and tableaux across assembly segments.
Nine inaugural yatras will start on March 1 and 2, followed by a brief Holi break on March 3-4. The second phase will run from March 5 to 10, concluding with a speech by Modi, they added.
A teaser music video unveiled at the press meet carried slogans such as “Banchte chai BJP tai” (BJP is needed to ensure people’s livelihood) and “Paltano darker BJP sarkar” (BJP government needed to turn Bengal’s misfortune into fortune).
The party said each of the nine yatras will cover roughly 110 km, traversing 38 organisational districts.
The outreach, described as the most expansive statewide mobilisation since the 2019 surge and the 2021 setback, is intended to revive momentum, sharpen anti-incumbency sentiment, and test the BJP’s grassroots machinery ahead of the Assembly polls. PTI SUS MNB
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.