The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sets up separate cells ahead of the West Bengal assembly polls in 2021 to maintain a connection with several target groups.
BJP leaders including national president JP Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah will meet the members of these groups while camping in the state, ahead of elections.
In early-November, Amit Shah had lunch with a Matua family in Bengal while JP Nadda met members of the fishermen community in South 24-Parganas on Thursday during his visit to the state.
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Amit Shah is expected to revisit Bengal next week in which he is likely to visit Bongaon in North 24-Parganas district, where the Matuas are headquartered. Matuas are a Dalit refugee group that has origins in Bangladesh and are spread over 50 assembly seats in the state.
Multiple cells that have been formed to work in coordination with various target groups include teachers, doctors, traders, ex-servicemen, sportsmen, and fishermen. One convener and between one to six co-conveners have been allotted to each cell.
“As each community has its own set of issues and problems. Each cell working with a particular community would be well-versed with the developments in that community. When our central leaders come to Bengal and meet and interact with these communities these cells will maintain the liaison,” said a senior BJP leader to Hindustan Times, requesting anonymity.
Amit Shah is also expected to visit Santiniketan. Both the BJP leaders will probably keep visiting the state separately every month till the assembly elections are over.
Top state office-holders of the party who know about the development in the state have said that 294 BJP leaders will be arriving in Bengal to work with the local unit for elections. The existing district committees will help a 45-member team of these leaders which will be set up for each constituency, the office-holders said.
Lifted by the 2019 Lok Sabha elections where the BJP won 40 percent of overall votes in Bengal with 18 out of the 42 seats in the state, the party is now aiming for victory in the state assembly. Amit Shah is hoping for the party to win at least 200 of 294 seats in the House.
