Kolkata, Feb. 17: In a strategic bid to dismantle the Trinamool Congress’s decade-and-a-half hold on power, the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has unveiled an expansive state-wide mobilisation under the banner of a ten-day “Parivartan Yatra.” Beginning March 1, the campaign is set to traverse more than 5,000 kilometres and feature 64 major public meetings alongside 300 smaller rallies, all designed to culminate in a massive show of strength at the Brigade Parade Ground in mid-March, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to deliver a keynote address. State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya framed the initiative as a decisive call for a change of guard, asserting that the transition of power is now inevitable and that the party has structured nine distinct rally routes to ensure this shift is executed with momentum.
The logistics of the Yatra reflect a high-stakes coordination between the state and central leadership. The campaign will be flagged off simultaneously from nine locations over the first two days of March, covering territories from Cooch Behar Dakshin and Islampur in the north to Sandeshkhali and Raidighi in the south. A formidable contingent of national figures, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, are expected to lead the inaugural events. In a nod to local cultural sentiments, the party has scheduled a brief hiatus on March 3 and 4 for the Holi festival, allowing the cadre to recalibrate before the final push toward the March 10 milestone, by which time the party intends to have marked its presence in every Assembly constituency.
Beyond the movement of vehicles and leaders, the BJP’s rhetoric has shifted toward framing the upcoming elections as a historical necessity. Bhattacharya drew a sharp contrast with the political shift of 2011, arguing that while the public then sought an end to “cadre raj” and hoped for economic development under the Trinamool Congress, those aspirations have since been betrayed. He contended that under the current administration, the constitutional machinery has eroded and corruption has become synonymous with the ruling party’s identity. By positioning the campaign as a correction of a fifteen-year decline, the BJP seeks to move the narrative from a mere electoral contest to a fundamental restoration of democratic and social rights.
However, the path to the Brigade Parade Ground is as much about internal cohesion as it is about public outreach. During a closed-door strategy session at the party’s Salt Lake City office, senior leaders including Sunil Bansal and Bhupender Yadav met with district presidents and Yatra coordinators to refine the “Parivartan” pitch. Insiders suggest that while the central leadership maintains an assertive and confident front, a primary objective of these meetings is to ensure this morale filters down to the grassroots level. The meeting in Bidhannagar functioned as a crucial synchronisation exercise, aimed at transforming the slogan of change into a credible political reality backed by a disciplined and energized cadre across the state.