Kolkata, Jan 7 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party national president and the Union Minister for Health, J.P. Nadda, will arrive in Kolkata on Wednesday night and will attend two crucial meetings, one administrative and the other political.
On Thursday morning, he will attend and address a health-related seminar in the city, and in the second half, will chair a crucial organisational meeting of the BJP’s state leadership, confirmed a state committee member of the BJP.
He will return to New Delhi on Thursday evening after chairing the organisational meeting.
“Earlier, our state president in West Bengal and the party Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya had specially invited Nadda to be present at the organisation meeting of the party on the same day and address the party leader, and the latter agreed to that,” the state committee member said.
The organisational meeting will be a closed-door one, where Nadda is expected to share his views on the poll strategy for the crucial Assembly election in the state scheduled for this year.
Only last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a three-day visit to Kolkata. Later this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled for a two-day visit to the state and address two rallies in two districts.
Now, in between the visits of HM Shah and PM Modi, the tour by Nadda and his chairing of the organisational meetings are happening. These events show the BJP leadership's priority being given to preparations for the Assembly elections, political observers say.
During the three-day visit to Kolkata, the Union Home Minister gave some crucial advice to the state leadership of the BJP on how to go ahead with the preparations and campaign for the Assembly polls.
The most crucial advice was to constantly counter Trinamool Congress’ propaganda, which is spreading fear and panic among voters from the Matua community about their potential loss of voting rights following the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state.
He also directed the core state leadership to organise regular interaction programmes with the Matua community voters, assuring them protection of their voting rights and allaying their fears in the matter.
Besides giving specific instructions on the Matua issue, the state committee member said, the Union Home Minister has also directed the state leaders to constantly counter the propaganda of CPI(M)-led Left Front and a section of the state Congress leaders in West Bengal of a clandestine understanding between the top leadership of BJP and Trinamool Congress.
--IANS
src/dpb