Kolkata, Dec 30: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold a series of meetings with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Kolkata on Tuesday as the party steps up preparations for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, now barely a few months away.
Shah arrived in the city on Monday evening on a three-day visit. Soon after his arrival from Guwahati, he headed to the BJP’s state headquarters in Salt Lake, where he held a meeting lasting over two hours to review the party’s organisational preparedness for the upcoming polls. Senior leaders briefed him on election strategy, booth-level planning and measures to strengthen the organisation ahead of next year’s contest.
On Tuesday, Shah is scheduled to address a press conference in Kolkata, after which he will chair back-to-back closed-door meetings with BJP MLAs, MPs and representatives from various civic bodies, party leaders said. He is also expected to meet the top leadership of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the state.
According to sources, Shah will hold a crucial meeting with senior RSS functionaries at the Sangh office in Manicktala later in the day. The discussions are expected to focus on coordination between the BJP and the RSS, cadre mobilisation and booth-level strategy as the election draws closer.
After Monday’s meeting, Union Minister and BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar expressed confidence that the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) would be voted out in the 2026 Assembly polls. “This time, the TMC will definitely be voted out,” he said. Majumdar added that leaders briefed Shah on all aspects of poll preparation and reiterated the party’s stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act, asserting that Hindu refugees had nothing to worry about.
Shah was greeted by enthusiastic party workers outside the Salt Lake office, with slogans such as ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Banchte Chai, BJP Tai’ echoing the area. Supporters also showered rose petals on his convoy as he arrived.
On Wednesday, Shah is scheduled to visit the Thanthania Kali Bari temple in central Kolkata and address a BJP workers’ meeting at an auditorium in east Kolkata. He may also visit the residence of a prominent Bengali icon before concluding his trip, though that programme is yet to be finalised.
Party leaders said Shah’s visit is aimed at setting the BJP’s tone and strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections and energising the organisation at all levels.
