Amit Shah to arrive in Bengal on Jan 30 on two-day visit

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in West Bengal on a two-day visit on January 30 and is scheduled to address BJP workers' conference at Barrackpore and attend a government programme at Siliguri this weekend, as the party steps up preparations ahead of this year's Assembly elections. This will be Shah's second visit to the state within a month. He had earlier been in Kolkata on December 30 and 31 last year for a series of organisational and public engagements. ''Shah will arrive in Kolkata on Friday night and will attend the party programmes on Saturday. First, he will attend a workers' meeting at Barrackpore and then he will fly to North Bengal, where he is scheduled to attend a government programme of Airports Authority of India (AAI),'' a state BJP leader said. However, there is also a possibility of workers meeting at Siliguri too, although nothing has been finalised or confirmed as of now. According to party sources, Shah is expected to land at Kolkata airport at 8.05 pm on Friday and stay overnight at a hotel in New Town. There is no officially announced public programme that evening, but with some time at hand, he may hold closed-door meetings with senior state BJP leaders to discuss organisational and electoral strategy. On Saturday morning, Shah will address a workers' conference at Anandapuri ground in Barrackpore. BJP workers from four organisational districts -- Bongaon, Basirhat, Barasat and Barrackpore -- have been invited to the meet. The venue will be opened for participants from 9 am, with the programme expected to begin in the presence of senior party leaders. Shah is likely to reach the venue around 11.10 am. The Barrackpore event will be attended by district- and mandal-level functionaries. After completing the south Bengal programme, Shah will fly from Kolkata to Bagdogra in Siliguri, where he is scheduled to attend a government programme. The assembly election to West Bengal assembly is due in April-May this year.