Kolkata: To make a political point, the BJP held a rally at Kolkata's Hazra crossing today -- a spot not far from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence. It is closer to the home of Abhishek Banerjee -- the party's national general secretary, MP and her nephew. Both Ms Banerjee and her nephew are out of town.
Taking at pot-shot at the flagship scheme of the Trinamool Congress Government in West Bengal, Duarey Sarkar - an effort to offer government services at the doorstep - the BJP called its protest "Duarey Protibaad" or "Protest at the doorstep". The Hazra crossing comes under the Bhowanipore constituency, which is the Chief Minister's assembly seat.
The rally was addressed by the state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. The choice of Hazra crossing as a venue is significant, because it is closely connected to Mamata Banerjee's political career. On August 16, 1990, Mamata Banerjee was attacked by CPM cadres at Hazra Crossing. Severely injured, she became a central figure in Bengal politics.
Attacking Abhishek Banerjee and Mamata Banerjee, the BJP's Suvendu Adhikari said, "Why have they run away to Meghalaya?"
Suvendu Adhikari was referring to Mamata Banerjee's planned visit to Meghalaya, which was announced before the BJP had announced its rally at Hazra crossing.
BJP leaders from West Bengal are likely to hold a meeting with Amit Shah before his upcoming visit to Kolkata for the meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council on December 17. Bengal's Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari is heading to Delhi after the BJP rally today and will meet Amit Shah tomorrow in New Delhi. Amit Shah will travel to Kolkata later this week.
The Chief Ministers of all the states that are part of the Eastern Zonal council will attend the meeting. The eastern zonal council consists of the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Sikkim.
The protest comes on a day when Mamata Banerjee is visiting Meghalaya to deliberate on her party's strategy for the upcoming assembly elections in the state, which are scheduled in February 2023. She landed in Shillong this afternoon and will address a convention of party workers on Tuesday.
Accompanying the Chief Minister on her visit is Abhishek Banerjee, who is in charge of the party's expansion plans beyond West Bengal.