Amit Shah declares 'BJP will win 200+ seats' in 2021 Bengal polls, rising from 16 seats

Setting an aim tally for the BJP in the upcoming West Bengal assembly polls, ex-BJP chief Amit Shah, on Thursday, said that the saffron party will win over 200 seats in the next elections, forming its first government in the Eastern state, while addressing a BJP meeting in Bankura. He said that BJP had already achieved its tally of 22 seats in the past election. Bankura district is part of the Jangalmahal area and BJP had made deep inroads in adjoining Purulia, West Midnapore and Jhargram districts by bagging majority of the parliamentary seats there in the 2019 polls.

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Shah: 'Will win over 200 seats'

"We lost 4-5 seats by a mere 4000-5000 votes. Otherwise, with your hard work, we attained our aim of 22 seats. But today I predict, we will win over 200 seats in Bengal. Whoever wants to laugh, let them. We will win over 200 seats," said Amit Shah at a rally in Bankura, West Bengal.

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Shah in Bengal

Shah arrived in Kolkata Wednesday night on a two-day visit to take stock of the party's organisation ahead of the 2021 assembly polls in West Bengal, party sources said. Shah, who is accompanied by BJP national vice- president Mukul Roy and national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargya, held an organisational meeting with BJP leaders in Bankura and met members of various communities of the tribal Jangalmahal area. He also had lunch at the home of a party activist from a scheduled tribe in the afternoon.

On November 6, he will visit the famed Dakineshwar Kali Temple in the city in the morning and the residence of classical singer Ajoy Chakraborty. In the afternoon he is scheduled to have lunch at the residence of a party activist belonging to the Matua community and then hold a meeting with party functionaries in Kolkata. This is Shah's first visit to the state since the COVID-19 outbreak.

HM Amit Shah visits Bengal to oversee BJP's preparedness ahead of 2021 Assembly Elections

BJP's Bengal campaign

With the passage of CAA, BJP has focused to win 220-230 seats in the 294-member Bengal Assembly. Launching an aggressive campaign under in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya, the saffron party's workers have often violently clashed with Trinamool workers over CAA, COVID-19 leading to the deaths of several BJP leaders. Accusing Bengal CM of attacking its leaders, BJP has decided to not project any chief ministerial candidate for West Bengal Assembly polls. With the death of leaders in the numerous clashes, BJP has taken to the streets to protest, often on the receiving end of blows from the Kolkata police.

Amit Shah arrives in city to take stock of BJP organisation in WB before assembly polls

 After the emergence of BJP in West Bengal as the second-largest party in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee roped in Prashant Kishor's political advocacy group - Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) for her re-election bid. With the 'Didi ke Bolo' campaign, Trinamool recently trumped BJP in all 3 bypolls. Bengal Assembly where Mamata holds 222 of 294 seats is scheduled to go to polls in April-May 2021.