Odisha BJP leaders, social activists step up campaign in West Bengal polls
By Sukant Mohanty
Bhubaneswar, April 26: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders from Odisha, including state president Manmohan Samal, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, minister Krushna Chandra Patra and party leader Himanshu Sekhar Sahoo, have intensified electioneering in West Bengal, seeking support for BJP candidates in the ongoing Assembly polls.
According to party sources, Odisha leaders have been strategically deployed in constituencies with a significant Odia-speaking population, especially in districts along the Odisha border and industrial clusters with a sizeable presence of migrant workers from the state. The BJP is banking on this demographic to influence outcomes in several closely fought seats.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who had campaigned during the first phase, is set to return to West Bengal for a two-day visit beginning Sunday. During the tour, he is expected to address several public meetings and participate in roadshows, with a focus on reaching out to Odia voters and showcasing the BJP government’s governance model in Odisha.
“West Bengal has lakhs of Odia population. This time they have made up their mind to vote for the BJP, and we believe the Trinamool government headed by Mamata Banerjee will be out of power on May 4 when counting takes place,” Samal told this newspaper on Saturday.
Party functionaries said the campaign has also drawn participation from Odia social activists, cultural personalities and community organisers, who have joined outreach efforts through small group interactions, door-to-door campaigns and community-level meetings aimed at consolidating support for the BJP.
Jitendra Biswal, a representative of the Odisha BJP chief, said leaders from the state have so far addressed more than 100 meetings—both large and small—across West Bengal. “The response from Odia voters has been encouraging. We are focusing on direct engagement to ensure maximum turnout in favour of the BJP,” he said.
Political observers view the cross-state mobilisation as part of the BJP’s broader strategy of leveraging linguistic and cultural linkages to strengthen its electoral footprint beyond its conventional strong
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Photograph: Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal and minister Krushna Chandra Patra (second and third from left, respectively) campaigning in West Bengal.
