Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday cancelled his trip to Jhargram and addressed — what BJP insiders admitted was a “very low turnout” — virtually for only around seven minutes from Kharagpur, barely 42km from the venue; the change of plan formally attributed to “damage” to his helicopter.
“You people have assembled in large numbers in this scorching sun. I was scheduled to visit Jhargram for a poll campaign rally….But my helicopter got damaged and I could not meet you…I apologise for this,” said Shah before slamming the Trinamul-led state government and assuring people of many tribal benefits, should his party come to power.
Later in the day, he attended a rally in Bankura’s Khatra, which falls under the Ranibandh Assembly constituency, where he said: “I got delayed by a glitch in my chopper…However, I will not say it was a conspiracy as choppers could be damaged.”
Union home minister Amit Shah in Bankura’s Khatra. Rupesh Khan
Despite Shah’s explanation, BJP insiders said the actual reason was “very low turnout”, which was “not good enough” for a leader of his stature. They said the cancellation of such a campaign, in a fully arranged programme, sent a “bad message” to the party workers and supporters, as he could have covered the distance easily by road.
“If the helicopter glitch was the real reason, he could have come there by road, within the hour, as he was only 42km away. After addressing the rally virtually, he went by chopper to the Bankura’s Khatra rally easily,” said a BJP state unit functionary. “It would have been fine had there been an emergency or pressing work in Delhi and he addressed the rally virtually. But he came all this way, was only 42km away and he did not go…The low turnout caused the cancellation. It (the crowd) was not good enough for someone like him,” he added.
Shah, however, assured party workers and leaders that he would attend another rally at the same venue in Jhargram before the poll campaign ends.
Many in the BJP and rival parties recalled a cultural meet in Jhargram in February that BJP national president J.P. Nadda skipped purportedly because of low footfall.
Sources in the BJP said the party planned to bring 45,000 people to Shah’s rally on Monday but less than 10,000 showed up till midday, though the deadline was 11am.
“After waiting for over half-an-hour, a BJP leader announced Shah would not come because of a supposed glitch in the chopper, and he would address virtually. It was distressing news for us, as the people who had come had been waiting for an hour. Later, around 1.05pm, he addressed us virtually for seven minutes, with a party leader holding a cell phone to the microphone,” said a BJP leader in Jhargram.
“People in large numbers started leaving before Shah started the virtual address,” he added.
Sukhamoy Satpathy, the BJP’s Jhargram unit president and a candidate, when asked about footfall, denied that it was low “Footfall was not low. Amitji cancelled his trip because of a glitch in his chopper,” he said. “Most importantly, he assured me that he would come again.”
Asked why Shah couldn’t cover the 42km by road, Satpathy said: “Then, he would have had to cancel the next campaign rally in Bankura.”
A party colleague countered Satpathy’s logic, saying Shah could have gone by road to Jhargram, and by chopper to Bankura. “I cannot recall a rally where Amitji addressed only for seven minutes, even virtually,” he added.
Sources said the footfall was not only low in Jhargram but in Bankura too. According to a police report, the senior BJP leaders gave an estimate of 50,000 people and around 450 vehicles.
A senior police officer said the actual numbers fell far short. “We found around 8,000 in Khatra. The number of vehicles was barely 120,” he said.
A senior BJP leader said many local leaders directed to hire five vehicles each hired only two each and as a result many people skipped the rally.
Shah, despite the curtailed itinerary, in Khatra did not miss the opportunity of bringing up last Wednesday’s Nandigram, where Mamata Banerjee sustained injuries.
“I recently came to know that Mamataji received injuries to her leg and you people also saw it. The matter is under investigation. Trinamul leaders are claiming it was a conspiracy to injure her and the Election Commission said it was only an accident. God knows the truth,” said Shah.
“Didi you were hurt as you sustained injuries to your leg. But you did not feel the pain of mothers of 130 of our workers who were killed by your political violence. I pray for your speedy recovery, but those mothers will respond to you in the polls,” Shah added.
