Amit Shah, JP Nadda in Kolkata to assess Lok Sabha preparedness, form election management team

Amit Shah and JP Nadda arrived in the city last evening. They visited a gurudwara and the Kalighat temple this morning. Later, an organisational meeting was held in New Town. The leaders will leave for Delhi after holding a few more meetings including one with the IT cell members in the evening.

Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP all-India president JP Nadda, who are in Kolkata on a one-day visit have formed an election management team for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls during the party's organisational meeting in the city today.

The team comprises 15 to 17 members including both state and central-level leaders, sources said. Some of the members of the team are state president Sukanta Majumdar, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, former presidents Rahul Sinha and Dillip Ghosh, Locket Chatterjee, Aginimitra Paul and others.

In April, BJP had set a target of winning 35 out of 42 seats in the Lok Sabha elections and the election management team will work in this direction, sources added.

In 2019, BJP won 18 seats, which was the highest ever bagged by the party in West Bengal. Prior to 2021 Assembly polls, BJP had formed a 117-member election management team for making preparations for the polls.

Earlier in the morning, both Shah and Nadda visited a gurudwara in Jorasankho and Kalighat temple in the city. After attending the organisational meeting in New Town, the leaders will go to National Library where a meeting has been scheduled with members of the BJP's IT cell and the social media wing. Also, another meeting is scheduled in the evening after which, they will depart for New Delhi.

The two leaders arrived here last night by a special flight. Sukanta Majumdar, Suvendu Adhikari, Dilip Ghosh and MLAs Manoj Tigga and Agnimitra Paul were present at the Kolkata Airport to welcome the two leaders. The BJP workers also came to the airport and welcomed the top leadership by beating drums.

BJP MLA Manoj Tigga said, "The party's preparations for the assembly elections have started. Our central leaders, the Prime Minister, Home Minister and party president will be paying more such visits here".

BJP insiders said that the visit of the two leaders is aimed at taking stock of the party's progress of work before the Lok Sabha elections. Reports have been prepared for all the districts and Lok Sabha constituencies and these will be submitted before Shah.