BJP's West Bengal Campaign Halted by Amit Shah's Presence Accounting for 60% of Rallies

BJP Campaigns in West Bengal: Amit Shah Takes the Lead

In the ongoing assembly election push in West Bengal, Amit Shah has emerged as the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) most aggressive campaigner, holding 66 rallies and roadshows covering 63 locations in the state. This is a significant number, surpassing even the party's top national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to an analysis of campaign schedules compiled from the BJP campaign events website, Modi conducted 18 events across 18 locations, while party president JP Nadda held 10 rallies across 10 locations. Nitin Nabin, another key organiser, held 19 events covering 18 locations.

The numbers highlight the BJP's reliance on Shah's organisational and booth-level mobilisation strategy in the state. While Modi's appearances have been concentrated around mega rallies, roadshows, and high-visibility battleground constituencies, Shah has been focusing on deeper constituency-level penetration. This suggests a two-tier campaign model, with Modi leading mass voter mobilisation efforts and Shah targeting specific constituencies.

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Shah's itinerary spans politically sensitive belts such as Howrah, Jadavpur, Barasat, Ranaghat, Siliguri, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Purulia, and multiple seats in Birbhum, Malda, and Paschim Bardhaman, indicating the party's effort to widen its footprint beyond its 2021 strongholds.

In contrast, Modi's West Bengal campaign featured headline events in Kolkata, Cooch Behar, Tamluk, Asansol, Siliguri, Krishnanagar, Dumdum, and Bangaon, along with major roadshows in Kolkata and Howrah.

The state is set to vote in the second phase on April 29. The first phase contest, held for 152 seats, witnessed over 90 percent voter turnout.

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In other southern and northeastern states, Modi remained the BJP's principal vote-puller. In Assam, he held eight events, while in Kerala, he addressed four rallies and in Tamil Nadu, another three events.

Shah was deployed more selectively outside Bengal, with 10 events in Assam, five in Kerala, and three in Tamil Nadu. Party president Nitin Nabin held seven events in Tamil Nadu.

West Bengal's campaign intensity highlights the strategic premium the BJP has placed on the state in this election cycle. The party is seeking to unseat Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has governed the state for 15 years.