Senior BJP leaders spread out across the state over the past few days to ensure a massive turnout at Union home minister Amit Shah’s Wednesday rally in Calcutta, where the party wants to showcase its organisational strength in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

A source said every district BJP president had been given a target of a specific number of party workers who needed to be brought to the Calcutta rally.

The BJP’s aim is to ensure the presence of at least one lakh people in front of Victoria House at Esplanade here on Wednesday.

The Trinamul Congress also holds its annual Martyrs’ Day rally near Victoria House on July 21.

Senior leaders, including BJP’s state president Sukanta Majumdar and leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, are holding rallies in remote corners of the state to ensure a large turnout in front of Shah in a bid to assure the No. 2 man in Narendra Modi’s cabinet that the party was well prepared to take on Trinamul in the general election.

The BJP is holding the rally to counter Trinamul’s narrative that the Narendra Modi government is depriving Bengal of its dues, especially by withholding funds under the MGNREGS. BJP insiders say they fear Trinamul’s narrative might sway rural voters during the 2024 polls if it is not countered properly.

“We had a plan to reach out to people in remote areas earlier. However, it was delayed as Trinamul tried to stop the rally of Amit Shah ji at Esplanade. Our leaders have been engaged in a massive campaign for the rally since November 25 following the court’s order. Now, our workers and leaders have spread across the state to ensure a mega turnout on November 29. Our target is to have at least one lakh people turning up at Esplanade to listen to Shah before the crucial Lok Sabha polls,” said a senior BJP leader in Calcutta.

Calcutta High Court last week asked city police to allow the BJP to hold the rally near Victoria House on Wednesday.

BJP insiders said Shah might take on chief minister Mamata Banerjee with charges of corruption and irregularities under the Trinamul regime.

When Sukanta Majumdar led a procession of BJP workers in Calcutta on Monday, Suvendu Adhikari visited Birbhum’s Rampurhat to campaign for the November 29 event.

“For the last four or five days, BJP leaders from a panchayat-level functionary to the state president, from a panchayat member to the leader of the Opposition and Union ministers are reaching the doorsteps of people of Bengal. We are appealing to the people to ensure their participation in Amit Shahji’s rally in Calcutta,” Adhikari said while addressing party workers in Rampurhat.

BJP leaders accused Trinamul of threatening people and forcing transporters not to ferry BJP workers to Shah’s rally. Despite the obstacles put in by the ruling party and the state administration, there would be a flood of people at the November 29 rally, BJP’s chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.

“The Esplanade area and the city will be choked with crowd on Wednesday despite Trinamul’s efforts to prevent it. It will be a repetition of Amit Shah’s rally on November 30, 2014, at the same venue,” said Bhattacharya.

Before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had organised a mega rally on November
30. The rally was held in front of Victoria House after Calcutta High Court had
intervened.

Trinamul leaders, however, said the BJP had been facing a challenge in meeting the rally turnout target because of a poor organisational base and factional feud.

“People witnessed the massive footfall at the same venue at Shahid Divas rally on July 21. I think the BJP would not be able to come anywhere near Trinamul’s show,” said Trinamul spokesperson Tapas Roy.

A BJP leader said the party would place at least 10 boxes at the meeting venue where people who were deprived of central schemes because of Trinamul’s alleged corruption could drop letters with details.