Home Minister Amit Shah may be visiting Kolkata on Chaturthi to inaugurate a few Durga pujas in the city. He is expected to inaugurate Durga Pujas at Santosh Mitra Square and EZCC, which are organised by BJP leaders. Shah will reportedly also inaugurate a Durga puja at Behala, following which he may hold a meeting with the core committee members. The Home Minister’s visit to Kolkata is relevant ahead of West Bengal Assembly Elections which are scheduled next year.

As per reports Amit Shah will first inaugurate the Durga Puja organised by the BJP at the Salt Lake EZCC under the banner of West Bengal Sanskriti Manch. After that, the Union Home Minister will inaugurate the “Operation Sindoor” themed Durga Puja organised by BJP leader and councillor Sajal Ghosh at Santosh Mitra Square in Central Kolkata. From there, Shah may visit another Durga puja in South Kolkata, the Sevak Sangh puja on Lake Avenue.

Regarding Amit Shah’s arrival to inaugurate the Central Kolkata “Operation Sindoor” themed Puja, Trinamool’s state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, “The Puja was initiated by Trinamool and there is no other Durga Puja organised by the BJP in the state.”

Will Amit Shah meet Bengal BJP Core Committee?

Meanwhile, there is speculation about whether Shah will hold any meeting with the BJP office bearers or core committee during his one-day visit to the state. According to a section of the saffron camp, the new state committee may be announced on Wednesday or Thursday before Shah arrives in Kolkata. In that case, the Union Home Minister may hold a brief meeting with the new team of Bengal BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya on Friday before the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026. However, the meeting has not been finalised yet. There is speculation that the new state committee may be announced after Durga Puja is over.

Is BJP using Durga Puja to connect with emotion and culture of Bengalis?

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been keen to use the Durga Puja festival for several years to become a part of the Bengali mind and cultural scene. During his last visit to the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to connect with Bengalis by greeting them with ‘Jai Maa Durga’ and ‘Jai Maa Kali’ during his public address.

Shah visited Kolkata in 2023 to inaugurate the puja at Santosh Mitra Square in central Kolkata. BJP’s municipal representative Sajal Ghosh is the main organizer of that puja. This time, the theme of their puja is ‘Operation Sindoor’.

BJP’s All India President JP Nadda offered prayers at the Shobhabazar Rajbari on Saptami in the last two years. BJP sources say that he might visit Kolkata on Durga Puja this year too.

Regarding the party’s activities around Durga puja, BJP state president Shamik Bhattacharya said, “We are hopeful that the Home Minister will come. However, the Home Ministry has not yet finalised the date. Talks are also underway to bring Nadda and other ministers to Bengal during the puja days.”

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