Mamata Banerjee has been inviting Narendra Modi to a debate to answer all her queries which she wants to raise on behalf of journalists and Opposition parties. Till now, the BJP has not shown interest in accommodating her demand for the debate.

On Wednesday, the two leaders will come very close to a face-off, albeit from a distance, as they will be addressing rallies the same day.

Siliguri show of strength

Location: A vacant plot, off Asian Highway 2, at Kawakhali on the south-western end of Siliguri

Venue size: A 15-acre plot (6.5lakh sqft)

Time: Modi is expected to take the stage at 1.20pm

Main organiser: BJP Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya

Turnout target: Vijayvargiya said around 3 lakh to 4 lakh people would attend the rally

Mobilisation plan: The main goal is to get people from Darjeeling, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and North Dinajpur, who will be ferried to the venue in vehicles. Each district has been given a target of 30,000 to 40,000 people.

In case of Darjeeling, the target is 1 lakh Special arrangements: The organisers said in view of the dusty stretch around the venue, special sprinklers would be used in the morning. Besides, a target has been set to clean the venue immediately after the rally to stick to Modi’s Swacch Bharat slogan.

Last-minute scene: Vijayvargiya was holding meetings with local BJP leaders at the venue. The leaders were asked to ensure repeated chants of “Modi, Modi” during the rally

Likely message: The BJP’s commitment to the cause of Gorkha identity and vow to address the woes of the tea industry.

Brigade battle cry

Location: The Brigade Parade Grounds in Calcutta

Venue size: 28 lakh sqft

Time: Modi is expected to reach the stage at 3.30pm

Main organiser: Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh

Turnout target: Ghosh said around 8 lakh to 10 lakh people would listen to Modi (the estimate, some BJP sources said, was an exaggeration as the venue cannot accommodate so many people)

Mobilisation plan: The BJP has set a target of 20,000 to 50,000 each for all 30 organisational districts of the party in south Bengal. Targets have also been assigned to the BJP Lok Sabha candidates in south Bengal

Special arrangements: To beat the heat, for the first time in the history of political rallies at the Brigade, 12 hangers have been erected to cover a major portion of the ground. Hundreds of LED screens have also been installed

Last-minute scene: Ghosh and the BJP’s national secretary Rahul Sinha were seen overseeing preparations and holding meetings with volunteers to ensure smooth conduct of the meeting

Likely message: The content of the message is likely to have a pan-Bengal perspective. Modi is expected to launch an offensive against the chief minister and urge people of Bengal to give the BJP a chance. Modi may also highlight that the Opposition remains fragmented.

Minister Ghosh on Tuesday oversees preparations for Mamata’s rally at Dinhata. Main Uddin Chisti

Mamata’s last word

Location: Sanhati Maidan in Dinhata, around 40km from Cooch Behar town

Venue size: A 10-acre plot with a capacity to accommodate around 1.50 lakh people

Time: Mamata is expected to address the rally around 4pm

Main organiser: North Bengal development minister and Cooch Behar district Trinamul chief Rabindranath Ghosh

Turnout target: Ghosh said over one lakh people would be present

Mobilisation plan: Trinamul plans to get people from Dinhata and Cooch Behar Sadar subdivision. Leaders have been asked to bring in over 10,000 people from each block. The party is considering it as a warm-up and will show its strength at another public meeting that the chief minister has planned at the Rasmela Ground in Cooch Behar on April 8

Special arrangements: As Mamata is unlikely to speak unless Modi leaves the Brigade stage, it has been planned to deploy a long list of speakers to keep the audience engaged till Mamata takes the dais. Some Tollywood stars like Nusrat Jahan will also be present.

Last-minute scene: Senior Trinamul leaders were hanging around the venue till late on Tuesday evening and asking leaders at the block and panchayat levels about their mobilisation plans

Likely message: Mamata may go for a point-by-point rebuttal of Modi’s charges. Given her knack to coin catch phrases to attack opponents, she is likely to spring some new coinages to tickle her audience.

Additional reporting by Main Uddin Chisti in Cooch Behar and Sandip Chowdhury in Calcutta