BJP back to Rath Yatras to boost political prospects in West Bengal

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has returned to its time-tested strategy of organizing Rath Yatras in a bid to boost the party’s electoral chances in the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal.

State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Tuesday (February 17, 2026) announced Parivartan Yatras across the state in March. There will be nine yatras starting from different parts of the state.

On March 1, yatras will start from Cooch Behar Dakshin, Krishnanagar Dakshin, Garbeta, Raydighi and Kulti. The very next day, another set of yatras will begin from Islampur, Sandeshkhali, Hassan and Amta.

“The Yatra will culminate in a massive rally at the Brigade Parade in March-end, where Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will address it. Preparations for the rally have already begun,” a press release by the West Bengal BJP said.

Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said similar yatras will be held in every State before the Assembly elections.

According to the West Bengal unit of the BJP, these yatras will cover more than 5,000 km in each Assembly constituency and 60 large public meetings and more than 300 smaller public meetings will be held. Among the leaders who will participate in the yatras are many senior leaders of the party, including BJP president Nitin Naveen, former national president and Union Minister JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nitin Gadkari and Dharmendra Pradhan and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The BJP in West Bengal emerged as the main Opposition party after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and lost the 2021 Assembly polls despite putting up a tough competition against the Trinamool. Trinamool Congress looks optimistic after the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme increased cash entitlements and introduced a new cash incentive scheme for unemployed youths.