Shah arrives in Kol, to address party workers’ rally today
Times of India | 1 June 2025
Kolkata: Union home minister Amit Shah, who arrived in Bengal on Saturday night on a two-day visit, held a meeting with the key state functionaries. Shah, who reached at 10.10pm, is expected to address BJP functionaries at a meet on Sunday.Former BJP Bengal president Dilip Ghosh, whose absence was noticed at PM Narendra Modi's Alipurduar rally, is not likely to be present at Sunday's meet.Two days after Modi asked party workers to take up the "big responsibility" of "deciding the future of Bengal", Shah is likely to touch upon issues that will define BJP's campaign in the months to come. In tune with the tempo set by the PM in Alipurduar, Bengal BJP netas have named Shah's Sunday meet as "Vijay Sankalpa Karyakarta Sammelan"."Party workers are enthusiastic and eagerly looking forward to listening to Shah. Bengal is at a crucial juncture as recruitment scams and violence in Malda and Murshidabad have disillusioned people about Trinamool," said Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader Indranil Khan.Shah will begin his day with the inauguration of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Rajarhat. He is scheduled to attend the party functionary's rally at Netaji Indoor Stadium and then visit Swami Vivekananda's residence before leaving Kolkata.While 15,000 karyakartas — including representatives from mandals across the state — have been invited to attend Shah's rally, Ghosh's name is not on the list.Ghosh said: "I don't attend meetings of top leaders unless I am invited. There is a culture in politics to follow top leaders wherever they go. That is not correct. I work with ground-level workers and meet them when they want to meet me."Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, however, said that Ghosh's presence is decided by the party brass in Delhi. "Dilip Ghosh is our party leader and the party will only decide on inviting him," he said.