PM Modi's rally in Kolkata called off
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said the proposed rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata next month has been cancelled. Modi would initially attend three rallies in West Bengal starting next week, the party said.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three rallies in West Bengal. On January 28 (Monday), he will address a rally at Thakurnagar in Bongaon. On February 2, he will address a rally at Siliguri in north Bengal," state BJP President Dilip Ghosh said.
"So far, this is the schedule,” Ghosh said, adding the prime minister’s scheduled rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds on February 8 has been cancelled and, instead, he will be addressing a rally at Asansol -represented by party MP Babul Supriyo on the same day.
Commenting on why the BJP was not organising the Kolkata rally as scheduled, Ghosh said as the party would be holding three rallies in various parts of the state, that was why they had decided to call off the rally.
"We will organise a rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds later," he added.
The historic ground, also known as the Maidan, was the venue for the mega Opposition rally organised by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee last Saturday.
The state BJP will kick-start its Lok Sabha polls campaign in the state from Tuesday, with a rally of party president Amit Shah in Malda district.
Shah will be addressing two other rallies at Jhargram and Suri in Birbhum district on Wednesday.
The saffron party has set a target to win 22 out of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state for the upcoming general elections.
(With PTI inputs)
