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In a display of the party’s strength for the first time in the State, BJP President Amit Shah held a massive roadshow which attracted a huge crowd in the heart of the city on Tuesday evening.
Organising roadshows has been Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee’s way to gauge public support and show off her strength.
“This is perhaps the first time someone is playing the game by Banerjee’s rules. The BJP is putting up a resistance and in Mamata’s citadel,” said a political analyst, on conditions of anonymity.
The roadshow, which traversed between Central and North Kolkata, was attended by thousands of party workers and supporters.
The entire 5 km-stretch was lined with BJP flags and life-size cut-outs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party President Amit Shah.
Shah’s rally covered the heart of the city, which has several premier educational institutions such as the Presidency College (now Presidency University) and Calcutta University. It also has some of the heritage Bengali localities of the once British capital.
Mamata Banerjee’s core voter base lies in Kolkata, where the BJP is trying to assert its strength ahead of the last phase of polls.
The city has two constituencies — Kolkata North and Kolkata South — while the fringe areas include Dum Dum and Jadavpur seats.
Apart from these, there are five semi-urban and rural areas – Barasat, Diamond Harbour, Basirhat, Mathurapur and Joynagar, all of which will go to polls on May 19.
“This is an outburst of people’s anger against Mamata Banerjee. We will win more than 23 seats here,” Shah said during the rally.
Shah’s rally had to be cut short by a few metres due to confusion regarding the route.
Clashes with TMC
“TMC workers attacked us and tried to sabotage the roadshow. Police remained mute spectators,” Shah alleged.
There was chaos at the rally when BJP workers clashed with Trinamool Congress Chathra Parishad — the student’s wing of the TMC.
Clashes broke out in front of the Calcutta University campus and 3km from Vidyasagar College.
It was alleged that students in front of the Calcutta University campus waved black flags at Shah and threw brickbats at the BJP President.
A TMC spokesperson said: “The BJP brought goons from outside Bengal for their roadshow today. We condemn the violence.”
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