Kolkata, April 9 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold three rallies in Haldia, Asansol, and Suri in West Bengal on Thursday to intensify the BJP's campaign for the state assembly elections.
This will be his second visit to the state since the announcement of the election schedule in mid-March.
According to the PM's schedule shared by the BJP, Modi will address his first rally at 9:30 am in Haldia Township in Purba Medinipur district, followed by another at the Outdoor Stadium at the Polo Ground in Asansol, Paschim Bardhaman district, at noon.
The third public meeting is scheduled to be held at the Chandmari Field in the Suri town of Birbhum district at 2 pm.
The choice of venues in the southern parts of the state underscores the BJP's attempt to consolidate its support in areas where it has made significant gains, while also expanding into regions considered strongholds of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
On April 5, Modi launched his election campaign in north Bengal's Cooch Behar district, where he made last week's gherao of judicial officers engaged in the SIR exercise the centerpiece of his criticisms of the TMC, focusing on the "lawlessness" in the state.
He had alleged that the incident reflected the TMC's "sponsored maha jungleraj" and framed the assembly polls as a battle between the 'bhay' (fear) allegedly spread by the ruling party and the BJP's 'bharosa' (trust).
Haldia remains the backyard of the state's Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, and is also one of the strongest bases of the BJP in the Purba Medinipur district.
The Haldia rally assumes significance as the party seeks to retain its hold over the region, projecting Adhikari's influence in the area, which serves as one of the epicenters of the party's challenge to the TMC.
The PM's second rally will be held in Asansol, the coal and industrial belt of Paschim Bardhaman district and a former BJP stronghold, where the party is actively looking to regain political control. Its candidate, fashion designer-turned-politician, Agnimitra Paul, is seeking reelection from the key seat of Asansol Dakshin.
The Prime Minister's final meeting of the day will be in Suri in Birbhum district, where the TMC holds sway.
Home to maverick yet scam-accused TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, who continues to wield considerable influence in the region, Birbhum has traditionally remained under the influence of the ruling party, though parts of the district have long had deep organizational networks of the RSS.
The BJP sees Birbhum as a district where it can expand its footprint by tapping into anti-incumbency and its existing cadre base while focusing on Suri, the district headquarters, from where journalist-turned-politician Jagannath Chattopadhyay, also the party's state general secretary, is a candidate.
Polling for the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held on April 23 and April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.