Amit Shah to Visit West Bengal for Key Organisational Meetings Ahead of 2026 Assembly Polls

Focus on strengthening BJP’s organisational structure as election preparations intensify

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, Kolkata, January 29, 2026 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to arrive in West Bengal on a two-day visit beginning January 30, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensifies its organisational preparations ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The visit, Shah’s second to the state within a month, is being viewed by party leaders as strategically significant, coming at a time when election dates are expected to be announced by the end of February or early March.

According to party sources, Shah will arrive in Kolkata on Friday night and will spend Saturday attending a series of organisational programmes rather than public rallies. His engagements will begin with a BJP workers’ conference at Barrackpore in South Bengal, followed by another workers’ meeting in North Bengal. He is also scheduled to attend a government programme of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in Siliguri during the visit.

A senior state BJP leader said Shah will first attend a workers’ meeting at Barrackpore, after which he will fly to North Bengal. In Barrackpore, a workers’ conference has been organised at Anandapuri ground, where BJP workers from four organisational districts—Bongaon, Basirhat, Barasat and Barrackpore—have been invited. Shah is expected to reach the venue around 11.10 am. Following the programme, he will travel to Kolkata airport and then fly to Bagdogra, where a second workers’ conference will be held at the Air Force ground near the airport. He is scheduled to depart for Delhi from Bagdogra around 4.30 pm.

Former state BJP president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar confirmed the visit, stating that two crucial organisational meetings have been planned—one in Barasat and another in Siliguri. He emphasised that Shah’s visit is aimed at strengthening the party’s internal structure rather than holding public rallies or open political programmes. Party sources noted that this visit is focused squarely on organisational work, reflecting the BJP’s renewed efforts to consolidate its base in the state.

This will be Shah’s second visit to West Bengal within a month. He had earlier visited Kolkata on December 30 and 31 last year for a series of organisational and public engagements. BJP leaders acknowledge that the party has struggled to gain a firm foothold in the state and is now placing greater emphasis on grassroots-level coordination and planning.

According to state BJP leadership, Shah’s primary objective during this visit is to review organisational preparedness from the state level down to the mandal level, identify weak areas, and improve coordination among leaders and workers ahead of the elections. There is also a possibility of separate meetings with leaders at the state, district and mandal levels during his stay in Kolkata. Party insiders indicated that guidance on leadership roles, campaign strategy, messaging and organisational responsibilities may emerge from these discussions.

Sources further revealed that with the secondary examinations scheduled to begin on February 2, no major meetings or rallies can be organised during that period. As a result, completing the state visit within January is being seen by the BJP’s inner circle as a matter of “strategic timing”. North Bengal, in particular, is considered politically crucial for the party, and strengthening the organisational base in the region is expected to have a wider impact on the state’s electoral dynamics.

It is also acknowledged within the state BJP that differences and organisational inconsistencies have surfaced in some areas in recent months. One of Shah’s key goals during this visit is believed to be addressing and resolving these gaps before the election campaign formally begins. Sources indicated that discussions during the visit will focus on streamlining the organisation, reinforcing discipline, and ensuring direct engagement with party workers across districts.

Three days after BJP president Nitin Nabin’s visit to West Bengal, Shah’s arrival underscores the party’s heightened focus on the state. The visit signals a renewed push by the BJP leadership to energise its cadre, refine its strategy, and present a more cohesive organisational front as the countdown to the 2026 Assembly elections begins.