BJP plans 5 Rath Yatras in poll-bound Bengal

KOLKATA: The BJP has approached the West Bengal government seeking permission to hold five mega Rath Yatras ahead of the assembly elections due in April -May this year in West Bengal. A letter was also sent to the state’s chief secretary at Nabanna on Monday seeking his appointment. Top BJP leaders in the state said that the party’s national president JP Nadda is expected to launch the first Rath Yatra on February 6. All five Rath Yatras have been named Parivartan Yatras. “Each yatra would run for at least 20 – 25 days and together they would cover all the 294 assembly constituencies in February and March,” said a senior BJP leader.

“It is their own party programme and they can do whatever they want after taking the due police permission. But it would fetch them no advantage and they would lose the elections,” said senior TMC leader Saugata Roy.