After the first four phases of Assembly elections in West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reportedly planned to tweak its campaigning strategy. Adding a completely new dimension to campaigning for the remaining four phases of polls, the saffron party will be holding 'potho sabhas' (street corner meetings) focusing on 40 constituencies spread across the greater Kolkata region.
The new campaign plan will be in addition to the already scheduled mega rallies and roadshows, sources within the BJP said.
Reason behind holding 'potho sabhas'
The 'potho sabha' campaign will be launched senior party leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on April 13 where he will address 'potho sabhas' in Dum Dum and Baranagar assembly constituencies at 7pm and 8:15pm respectively.
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According to the BJP think tank, Kolkata is the cultural capital of India and has always led the way in the advancement of literature, spirituality, music and cinema in India. Right from the age of Bengali Renaissance, which started in Kolkata, the city has witnessed glorious changes that have uplifted the country as well. From social reforms such as abolition of the Sati Pratha, to the first steps towards women empowerment that legalised widow remarriage and the formation of the Indian National Army that fought for India's independence, Kolkata has been the home ground for many significant movements in India's history. However, due to the neglect by state governments of the past, the city and its people have been facing many issues on multiple fronts such as crumbling infrastructure, inadequate healthcare facilities, lack of economic growth and growing concerns around safety of women, among others.
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Considering the unique features of an urban area and in light of the several governance and infrastructure-related issues facing the city of Kolkata, the Bengal unit of the BJP has planned the massive public outreach campaign in Kolkata wherein more than 2,000 small 'potho sabhas' will take place in over 40 assembly constituencies in and around Kolkata, sources added.
Various national and state leaders of the BJP will reach out to the plethora of communities residing in Kolkata to share with them BJP’s vision for Kolkata in specific and the state in general. In order to effectively reach out to the general public and keeping in mind the convenience of people, these meetings will take place in the evening in easy-to-access areas such as housing societies and community centres, among others, BJP sources added.
