Prime Minister Narendra Modi is returning to West Bengal to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls next week. Mr Modi, who addressed several rallies in the state over the past month, will hold his first rally after the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections in Cooch Behar. According to BJP sources, if everything goes as planned, this rally could take place next Thursday. Rallies are also planned for next Sunday in North Bengal, with Mr Modi expected to address meetings in Balurghat and Jalpaiguri.

The Trinamul Congress had earlier ridiculed Mr Modi, saying he has been coming and going in Bengal even before the election announcement as a migratory bird. Mr Modi has already held rallies in Arambagh, Krishnanagar, Barasat, and Shiliguri. According to sources, in these elections, West Bengal is one of the prime targets of the BJP leadership.

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With the party aiming to win more seats than their tally of 18 in the last Lok Sabha elections in 2019, they have put the Prime Minister at the forefront of their entire campaign in the state. Mr Modi, according to sources, will hold more than 30 rallies in the state during the entire seven phases of the elections. The first phase of polling in the state covers Cooch Behar as well as Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri. Keeping that in mind, Cooch Behar has been selected for Mr Modi’s first rally.

According to BJP sources, the rally will be held at the Rasleela Maidan in Cooch Behar. The state president of Bengal BJP, Sukanta Majumdar, will hold a rally in Balurghat on Sunday at half-past two in the afternoon. Then he will go to Jalpaiguri from there. There is a plan to hold a rally there at 4:30 in the afternoon. BJP sources say that workers and supporters will come from Alipurduar to this rally. The BJP has nominated Nisith Pramanik as its candidate from Cooch Behar this time.

The saffron brigade nominated Manoj Tigga and Jayant Ray from Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri respectively. It is noteworthy that before the Assembly elections of 2021, a lot had to be done to convince Maharaja Ananta Ray of Cooch Behar to support the BJP. Even though Ananta was a Rajya Sabha member of BJP, he was very angry with the party. Union home minister Amit Shah has to go to the Assam residence of Maharaj to appease him.

A few months ago, the BJP lost the Dhupguri Assembly seat as an outcome of his anger, sources said. The winner from Trinamul Congress in the by-election, Nirmal Chandra Ray, has been nominated as a candidate for the Lok Sabha elections, causing problems for the BJP. Political analysts believe that, therefore, Mr Modi is starting his journey from Cooch Behar to ensure the Rajbanshi vote for the BJP