Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to West Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to arrive in Kolkata for a two-day visit beginning December 29, during which he will hold a series of internal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) meetings.
This will be Shah’s first visit to the state after the commencement of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. According to BJP sources, Shah is scheduled to land in Kolkata late on December 29 and will hold internal meetings on December 30 and 31.
With the West Bengal Assembly elections approaching, the BJP’s central leadership is expected to discuss election strategy, including issues related to the SIR process. BJP sources said that with the draft SIR list already published and several names reportedly removed — including those of a large section of the Matua community — the meetings will focus on addressing concerns of voters whose names are missing from the rolls and on countering the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the issue.
Shah is expected to meet senior state BJP leaders on both days to take stock of the political situation following the SIR exercise, assess public perception, and review the effectiveness of the party’s outreach programmes in the state, sources said.
Meanwhile, the Bengal BJP is planning a bike procession to welcome the Union Home Minister during his visit. According to party and BJP Yuva Morcha sources, Shah may travel between destinations accompanied by a bike rally, either on the night of December 29 or on the morning of December 30.
Sources said ten organisational districts covering Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly have been tasked with organising the programme. Each district has reportedly been given a target of mobilising around 500 bikes, taking the total to approximately 1,500.
The final route is yet to be decided as Shah’s official itinerary has not been communicated by the Union Home Ministry. However, if the procession is held on the night of December 29, it is expected to run from Kolkata airport to Newtown, accompanying Shah from the airport to his hotel. If held on the morning of December 30, the convoy is likely to travel from Newtown to the BJP office in Bidhannagar’s Sector V, via Haldiram More, VIP Road, Ultadanga, Hudco More and EM Bypass.
There are differing views within the party over the timing of the procession. A section of BJP leaders favours holding it on the morning of December 30, citing greater scope for public outreach during the day. Others prefer a late-night event on December 29, arguing that a large number of bikes with headlights on the airport–Newtown stretch would create a stronger visual impact. The final decision will depend on Shah’s confirmed itinerary, sources said.
Shah has visited West Bengal more frequently than any other senior BJP leader over the past 11 years. However, a bike procession accompanying his convoy would be a first.
Since Shah’s visit does not include any public meetings and is limited to organisational discussions, the proposed procession is being seen as a way to generate visibility and project organisational strength ahead of the elections, party sources said.