BJP chief JP Nadda arrives in West Bengal, visits Vande Mataram Bhavan in Chinsura-Hooghly

BJP national president J P Nadda said, "'Vande Mataram' which became the mantra during India's freedom struggle was written here by Bankim Chandra Ji. I feel proud to visit this place today."

Image courtesy: ANI

Kolkata: BJP national president J P Nadda arrived here on a two-day visit to West Bengal during which he will hold organisational meetings. Nadda visited Vande Mataram Bhavan in Chinsura-Hooghly district, where novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay had penned the National Song.

Addressing the media, the BJP national president said, "'Vande Mataram' which became the mantra during India's freedom struggle was written here by Bankim Chandra Ji. I feel proud to visit this place today."

"A visit to this place has filled me with new vigour and determination to take forward our work for the country," ANI quoted JP Nadda as saying. The BJP chief will visit Rashbehari Bose Research Institute at Chandannagore in the district. 

Senior BJP leaders including state president Sukanta Majumdar received the party chief at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Dumdum on Tuesday evening.

He will also attend the state executive body meeting at National Library in South Kolkata later in the afternoon. On Thursday, the BJP national president will hold a meeting with public representatives of the party and mandal (local unit) presidents.

Nadda's West Bengal visit takes place at a time when the BJP looks forward to rejuvenating its organisational machinery, which has witnessed internal squabbling and defections since the 2021 assembly polls. The visit also assumes significance as the party's central leadership plans to strengthen the state unit by addressing the shortcomings ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, ANI report said.

The state BJP has been plagued by infighting and exodus, with former Union minister Babul Supriyo, Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh, and five MLAs including national vice-president Mukul Roy, joining the TMC in the past one-year after the assembly polls. 

Earlier in May this year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited West Bengal and advised the state unit of the BJP to strengthen the organisation to fight the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Time has come for Jagan govt to go: Nadda

Earlier on Tuesday, BJP President JP Nadda slammed the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government in Andhra Pradesh for `lawlessness, corruption and massive debts`. He said the time has come for this government to go, while addressing a public meeting on the second day of his two-day visit to Andhra Pradesh.

Alleging that corruption is at an all-time high in Andhra Pradesh, Nadda said "Today Andhra Pradesh is known for land mafia, sand mafia and liquor mafia. They have become synonyms of Andhra Pradesh," accusing the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of diverting funds released by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

Stating that Andhra Pradesh needs double-engine growth, Nadda urged people to vote for the BJP whenever the elections are held, adding "I want to tell Jagan Mohan Reddy that nothing is going to stop lotus from blooming in the state." 

The BJP chief also slammed the YSRCP government for `discouraging` Telugu language, though the new National Education Policy talks about encouraging regional languages.

(With ANI/IANS Inputs)