Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata on Thursday, where he inaugurated a patriotic-themed Durga Puja pandal and offered prayers at the Kalighat Temple, before beginning a two-day visit to Bihar aimed at energising BJP workers ahead of the Assembly elections.
In north Kolkata, Shah inaugurated the Durga Puja pandal of the Santosh Mitra Square Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity, organised by BJP councillor Sajal Ghosh. This year’s theme, ‘Operation Sindoor’, pays tribute to the courage and sacrifices of the Indian Armed Forces.
The pandal recreates visuals of key military operations, including the Pahalgam terror attack and the Indian response. Life-sized models of advanced defence systems such as the BrahMos missile and S-400 have been showcased to inspire national pride.
“The idea is to awaken patriotism in people’s hearts. Operation Sindoor reflected the strength of our armed forces, and we wanted to bring that bravery alive through this pandal,” said Ghosh, General Secretary of the Puja Committee.
Following his engagements in Kolkata, Shah will travel to Bihar for a series of high-level organisational meetings from September 26–27.
His first stop will be Bettiah, where he will meet BJP workers as part of a series of zonal reviews. Later in Patna, Shah will hold a strategy meeting at the state party office with senior leaders, including Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP’s election in-charge for Bihar.
On September 27, Shah will interact with party cadres in Sarayranjan before addressing a large gathering of BJP workers in Forbesganj.
The BJP has divided Bihar into five zones for election preparedness, with Shah’s visit focused on motivating grassroots workers and finalising poll strategies.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, “Under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar, we have been in power for 20 years. With the vision of Prime Minister Modi and the leadership of Nitish Kumar, we are confident the people of Bihar will once again give us the mandate.”
The Bihar Assembly elections are expected later this year, with dates yet to be announced by the Election Commission of India.
