Union Home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday gave several talking points to the BJP IT cell in Bengal to prepare for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Shah along with BJP national president JP Nadda had arrived in Calcutta late on Monday night and spent Tuesday deliberating with party leaders, observers, functionaries and karyakartas of the party’s social media unit and information technology

According to BJP insiders among the points shared by Shah with the IT cell members, was alleged corruption by Trinamul rank and file, including high profile ministers.

“After Tuesday’s meeting it is quite clear the lines on which the party’s campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will run,” said a senior Bengal BJP leader. “Amit ji told those present at the meeting, Bengal led the nation in every aspect but today it is known for cut money, syndicates, infiltration, pushing for political dynasties, corruption and violence. He specifically asked for 35 seats from Bengal to ensure a third term for Narendra Modi.”

“The Home minister stressed on the strength of the social media in penetrating the grassroots since the local media afraid of Didi is unlikely to take our message to the people. We have to carry the message to the people on our own as we cannot expect any support from the media in Bengal,” said a BJP leader.

Incidentally, the BJP at the Centre is accused of stifling the voice of the media in Delhi.

“He said, if the social media warriors decide you can have more reach than any channel or newspaper and no one can stop you from making Modi ji win. That is the reason you have the biggest responsibilities,” said a source.

The meeting was held at the National Library on Tuesday evening.

“In the battle for 2024 the Trinamul’s corruption will feature prominently in the campaign. The Home minister also said, people were happy when the CPM was defeated in 2011 but conditions have worsened under her rule,” said a BJP source. “What we have understood is this focus on corruption will remain till the next Assembly elections in 2026. The onus is on us to ensure that the message reaches the voters.”

Over the last couple of years, a number of senior Trinamul ministers like Partha Chatterjee, Jyotipriya Mullick, organisational leaders like Birbhum’s Anubrata Mondal, legislators Manik Bhattacharya and Jibon Krishna Saha and several lower rung leaders have been arrested by central probe agencies the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI in various cases of corruption from recruitment of teachers, coal and cattle smuggling etc.

The state BJP leaders were also told that the Modi government had paid Rs. 7,17,000 crores to the Bengal government in the last nine years for carrying out development projects, compared to the Rs. 2,09,000 crores during the UPA rule. The Trinamul Congress led by chief minister Mamata Banerjee have accused the Centre of not releasing funds for the state.

The cash-for-query controversy involving the former Krishnagar MP, allegations of cross-border infiltration were also raised by Shah during the meeting.

Earlier in the day, sources said the BJP national leaders had set up a 15-member election management team, though no formal announcement has been made yet.

The team comprises leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikary, MP and state unit president Dr Sukanta Majumdar, other parliamentarians Locket Chatterjee, Dilip Ghosh, Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, MLA Agnimitra Paul and state functionaries Rahul Sinha, Amitabha Chakraborti, Jagannath Chattopadhyay, and Dipak Barman.

The BJP’s central leaders Asha Lakra, Amit Malviya, Sunil Bansal, Mangal Pandey and Satish Dhand who have been deputed for Bengal have also been included in the team and will coordinate with the state level leaders.

“They will step in wherever they feel prudent to intervene to derive the best outcome from the poll process. This could be on selection of candidates to the micro-managing the campaign from large public meetings to booth level marches,” said a state BJP leader.

Though none of the four junior ministers from Bengal in the Narendra Modi government --- Nisith Pramanik, John Barla, Subhas Sarkar and Shantanu Thakur – have been inducted into the team officially, sources said they could be included later.

The BJP’s national executive which met in New Delhi last week has already made it clear in approximately 100 constituencies across the country, the party is likely to change the nominees.

Shah had earlier set a target of 35 seats from Bengal out of the 42 in the state. Tuesday’s was the first top-level meeting to sound out the preparations for the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

“Such an exercise has not been carried out yet in any of the states. This shows how far important the BJP considers Bengal,” said a BJP source.

Though the BJP had returned with 18 seats, the highest ever tally, in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, two of its MPs later defected to the Trinamul, bringing the tally down to 16.

A BJP leader said, not too much should be read into the ministers not being included in the election management team.

“Right now no decision has been taken on the list of candidates. The election management team will go through the survey reports that are being collated now,” said a BJP leader.

Earlier in the day, Shah and Nadda along with Adhikari and others visited the Gurudwara Bara Sikh Sangat in Jorasanko and the Kalighat temple.