'After TMC's Jonogorjon Sabha, state BJP leaders nervous to hold rally in Brigade'

Kolkata, March 11 -- After seeing the success of Trinamool Congress' "Jonogorjon Sabha" at the Brigade, the state BJP leaders appear to be nervous about holding any rally at the Brigade apprehending that the ground may remain empty.

According to BJP sources, the state party leaders are eager to hold a Lok Sabha meeting where Prime Minister Modi may conduct his election campaigns. Incidentally, Home minister Amit Shah's rally in Dharmatala failed to pull a crowd. PM Modi's participation at a religious gathering in Brigade in December last year was eventually cancelled.

The saffron party chose the historic Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata for the Prime Minister's rally in 2019. BJP leaders at that time claimed that the Brigade Ground would be full, and at least 6 to 7 lakh people would be present. But the estimated crowd was somewhere between 2 to 2.5 lakh people in 2019.

In February 2019, the BJP had planned a rally for the Prime Minister at the Brigade Parade Ground. But later, the rally was cancelled citing "present circumstances and short notice". The then BJP state president Dilip Ghosh had said that the central leadership had said there was no need to hold a rally at Brigade as of now and instead they had asked the state BJP to hold meetings in districts.

The state BJP pins its hopes on Modi and his ability to draw large crowds but they are still clueless about how to fill a huge ground like Brigade even if the leaders like Modi or Shah attend.A senior Trinamool Congress leader said that the massive turnout at "Jonogorjon Sabha" might have made BJP rethink if they would at all hold any rally in Brigade in the future. TMC on Sunday launched its election campaign with a deafening roar and they claimed that the event might trigger sleepless nights for the BJP leaders in Delhi.

The ruling Trinamool Congress in a post on X on Sunday said: "#JonogorjonSabha in all its glory! The power and unity of the people of Bengal rise against the jomidari of @BJP4India. History unfolds at Brigade."

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.