The state Bharatiya Janata Party will begin a campaign sans party flags with campaigning period for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections to end in less. than a week’s time.
Underscoring Hindutva, propagation of which has catapulted it to power at the Centre, the game plan will be practiced with visits to various temples in the city. The visits to the deities will be without flags sending a message to its core support base, it was learnt from party sources.
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Moreover, the ruling Trinamul Congress dispensation will be chary to object to it lest it offends religious sentiments, it was stated. Party activists will walk in morning parades all over the state as a warming up exercise of observing ‘Divya KashiBhabya Kashi’ scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on 13 December.
With the Viswanath Corridor project likely to be announced by the Prime Minister on that day, his party aims to observe it in a big way. Nearer home it would be a shot in the arm for the activists dejected after a series of electoral reverses. The program of morning parade will include cleaning up the temple premises. The party leaders and activists will also visit priests at their homes and felicitate them.
Needless to say that they will be accompanied by party candidates though given the mind state of the people the priests’ influence on them in political matters is questionable. Come 13 December, giant screens have been planned to be placed outside the temples for telecast of the Prime Minister’s address. Though Mr Modi is likely to speak on the nation’s tradition and culture, it would be a good way to make the saffron camp’s presence felt days before the KMC polls, sources stated.