The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will intensify campaigning for the second phase of the two-phase assembly elections in West Bengal, where the party is locked in a fierce electoral contest against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold multiple rallies across the state starting Thursday, even as the first round of polling on 152 seats is scheduled to take place.
Union home minister Amit Shah along with several national and state BJP leaders will also participate in a series of upcoming rallies and roadshows.
The party has chosen to keep the focus on state leaders who have been addressing public rallies and roadshows, drawing its election campaign with an eye on hyperlocal issues that have better resonance on the ground.
According to a person aware of the details, the party has chosen an extensive ground campaign, which meant, the leaders needed to be fluent in the language and familiar with the ground.
The PM has already addressed over half a dozen big rallies, the first being on April 5 when he addressed the crowds in Cooch Behar followed by rallies in Haldia, Asansol, and Suri.
The party's advertisements and campaign speeches have also been designed to address local issues, with a specific plan for regions and a larger plan for the state.
Shah, who is stationed in Bengal and overseeing the elections with his trusted election manager, union minister Bhupender Yadav, has given explicit instructions to the cadre to focus on countering the TMC's narrative against SIR.
