When in Rome, do as the Romans do! Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah understands this phrase better than anyone in today's politics. If reports are to be believed, Shah has started preparing for the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election by learning Bengali.
The master of elections strategies, Shah aims to learn Bangla so that the language doesn't become a barrier while making strategies for the polls. He also plans to start his address during his campaign in the state with Bangla to connect in a better way with the public. Interestingly, the BJP president has appointed a teacher also for the same, according to news agency IANS.
Shah an 'outsider'?
In a recent rally, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed Shah as an “outsider”. She coined a slogan “'Ma Mati Manush'” (Mother, Motherland and People) as she strongly spoke up for Bengali pride.
After failing form governments in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand, Shah is desperate to make a strong come back in the Eastern state, and therefore, to make a better connect with the party workers he has started learning the language.
A senior BJP leader of West Bengal told the news agency that there was nothing new in it. Shah is learning four different languages, including Bangla and Tamil.
Shah had learnt Hindi while he was in prison and was prohibited from entering Gujarat for two years. He has also learned classical music and he practices it to relax.
BJP’s massive rally in Bengal
The West Bengal BJP has decided to launch a massive statewide campaign in favour of the CAA and set a target of reaching out to more than one crore people in the next one month.
The state BJP unit held a brainstorming session on the issue of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), as it has emerged as the latest flashpoint in the state with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) opposing the legislation tooth and nail.
According to party sources, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh has set a target of reaching out to one crore people across the state in next one month and explain to them the need for implementation of CAA in Bengal, which has a huge number of Hindu refugees.
The sources said the party had hoped that the CAA would be its political trump card against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees anti-NRC campaign in the state.
"But things have not moved in our desired direction, due to TMC's aggressive misinformation campaign. Now we would counter it and we are hopeful of getting people's support," a BJP leader said.
(With PTI inputs)