BJP making preparations for Shah's mega rally in Kolkata on Nov 29

Kolkata: Preparations are on for Union Home Minister Amit Shah's mega rally at Esplanade here on November 29.

As part of the preparations, the saffron party took out small rallies in different parts of the city on November 27.

While BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar and senior party leader Rahul Sinha took out processions in south Kolkata, leader of the opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, led similar processions in Birbhum's Rampurhat.

"Shah's proposed rally will reflect people's resentment against mounting corruption by TMC leaders and ministers since 2011, their involvement in scams and the arrest of numerous ruling party leaders and ministers in graft cases," Majumdar said.

"It is shameful that the land of great personalities and luminaries has turned into a land of scams during TMC rule," he added.

Adhikari, who addressed back-to-back meetings of BJP workers at Kotulpur in Bankura and Rampurhat in Birbhum district, said, "TMC's move to stall Shah's mega rally on November 29 did not succeed. The Calcutta High Court overturned their pleas."

A BJP leader said supporters and activists of the party have already started arriving for Shah's rally.

"We are expecting a turnout of over one lakh. People are very much upbeat. They want to hear what Shah says. He will show us a new roadmap," he added.

BJP sources said Shah will arrive at the city airport on Thursday noon and will head straight to Maidan in a helicopter and reach the rally venue in a motorcade. He will leave on the same day.

The state administration had moved single bench of Calcutta High Court against the saffron camp's rally at the same venue where TMC holds its 'Martyrs' rally on July 21 every year.

When the single bench okayed the rally, the administration moved the division bench which also turned down the state's contention.

TMC spokesperson Joyprakash Majumdar said Shah's rally will be a non-starter.

"People of Bengal are not with the BJP," he added.