The political atmosphere in Kolkata Rally Fuels Bengal , was quite heated on Saturday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived to address the closing rally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s “Parivartan Yatra”. The rally was held at the historic Brigade Parade Ground, where more than 150,000 people were claimed to have gathered.
The BJP has launched the campaign with the aim of changing power in West Bengal. From the podium, Prime Minister Modi stressed the issues of development, employment and infrastructure in the state. He said the youth of Bengal wanted better opportunities and the state needed to accelerate the pace of development.
During the rally, the Prime Minister also inaugurated several development projects worth around ₹18,680 crore. These projects include major infrastructure projects related to roads, railways and ports, which can help boost trade and employment in the state.
The stage of the program was also designed in a special style. The stage design was based on a replica of the famous Dakshineswar Kali Temple, which is believed to be an attempt to showcase the cultural identity of Bengal.
Tight security arrangements were also made during the rally. Thousands of policemen and security agencies were deployed around the grounds to ensure a peaceful completion of the programme.
However, the opposition All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) also appeared to attack the government over the rally. Posters and billboards were put up in several places in Kolkata to send a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “go back to Bengal”. Also, the state government claims that the central government has not yet released the outstanding funds worth several thousand crores.
Political analysts believe the rally is extremely important in view of the upcoming Assembly elections. The BJP is trying to strengthen its grip in Bengal with the slogan of “change”, while the TMC is doing its utmost to defend its stronghold.
It remains to be seen what new twist this huge rally in Kolkata brings to Bengal politics.
