BJP's 'Rath Yatra' in Bengal: Modi to address 4 rallies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend four public rallies in West Bengal during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-organised "Rath Yatra" programme in the state in December, a senior state BJP leader said.

"Modiji has agreed to attend four public rallies in West Bengal during the party-organised Rath Yatra programme. The venues of his rallies are yet to be decided. Party's state leadership is in discussion with the party high command about the same," BJP National Secretary Rahul Sinha told IANS.

"As of now, three of rallies by Modiji are scheduled to be held in December while the fourth will be held in Kolkata at the end of the Rath Yatra programme," he added.

The saffron outfit is scheduled to hold three Rath Yatra rallies on December 7, 9 and 14 from north Bengal's Cooch Behar, South 24 Pargana district's Gangasagar and Birbhum district's temple town Tarapith, respectively.

The rallies, to be inaugurated by BJP President Amit Shah, will cover all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state before converging in Kolkata in the second week of January.

(With inputs from agencies.)