Union Home Minister Amit Shah defers visit to West Bengal

Amit Shah was scheduled to arrive in Kolkata on Friday night on a two-day visit to take stock of the BJP's preparedness ahead of the West Bengal assembly election. His visit was expected in the backdrop of growing rebellion in the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday postponed his visit to West Bengal amid farmers' protest at Delhi's borders and IED blast outside the Israeli embassy in the national capital.

Shah was scheduled to arrive in Kolkata on Friday night on a two-day visit beginning on Saturday to take stock of the BJP's preparedness ahead of the West Bengal assembly election. His visit was expected in the backdrop of growing rebellion in the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) with several ministers and MLAs openly speaking out against the party and the functioning of the state government.

Speculations were rife that former minister Rajib Banerjee who has resigned as a cabinet minister and TMC MLA, expelled TMC MLA Baishali Dalmiya and Uttarpara MLA Prabir Ghoshal would join the saffron party during Shah's visit. On Saturday morning, Shah was scheduled to visit Iskcon, Mayapur. After that, he was scheduled to go to Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas, a bastion of Matuas, where he was scheduled to address a public rally. Later in the day, he was scheduled to hold a closed-door meeting with social media cell of the party. He has some other engagements too.

Shah was also expected to hold a meeting with party leaders to review its poll preparedness. On Sunday he was scheduled to visit Aurobindo Bhawan to pay his respects to Sri Aurobindo followed by Bharat Sevashram Sangha. From here he was expected to proceed to Howrah to address a public meeting. He was also scheduled to visit Belur Math.

In the biggest single-day exodus from the TMC, political heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, along with 35 party leaders, including five MLAs and an MP, had joined the BJP during Shah's rally in Medinipur on December 19. Since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP bagged 18 seats from the state, 14 legislators of the TMC, four from the Left Front and two from the Congress have joined the saffron party. Elections to the 294-member state assembly are due in April-May.