Amit Shah urges Bengal BJP to step up grassroots push ahead of 2026

Kolkata: With an eye on the 2026 Assembly elections, Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday held a series of multi-level organisational meetings in Kolkata and instructed BJP MPs, MLAs and party workers - including veterans - to stay active in their constituencies and step up ground-level outreach in the coming months.

Shah also interacted with booth- and mandal-level workers from the four organisational districts under the Kolkata Municipal area at an event in Science City, and visited the "Ma Kali" temple at Thanthania Kalibari in central Kolkata. Shah held a closed-door meeting with BJP MPs and MLAs, which was attended by former state BJP president Dilip Ghosh, a former RSS functionary known for his deep organisational network. Ghosh had reportedly remained distanced from the party for some time.

Ghosh has been tasked with strengthening the Medinipur Lok Sabha constituency - which he won in 2019 - and the seven Assembly segments under it. He had earlier served as MLA from Kharagpur before being shifted to Bardhaman for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. According to people aware of the discussions, Ghosh was included in a select-group meeting of MPs and MLAs.