PM likely to address three election rallies in north Bengal in April first week

Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address three election rallies in northern parts of West Bengal in the first week of April, a state BJP leader said.

Modi will address a rally in Cooch Behar on April 4 and two back-to-back rallies in Jalpaiguri and Balurghat on April 7, BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.

Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha seats will go to polls in the first phase on April 19, while electors in Balurghat will cast their votes in the second phase on April 26.

Union minister Nisith Pramanik and BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar have been re-nominated for the Cooch Behar and Balurghat Lok Sabha seats respectively. BJP MP Jayanta Roy has been re-nominated for Jalpaiguri.

The April 4 rally in Cooch Behar will be Modi's first rally in the state after the announcement of the poll schedule by the Election Commission on March 16.

Before the EC's announcement, the prime minister had addressed four rallies in West Bengal, the first at Arambagh in Hooghly district, the second at Krishnanagar in Nadia district, the third at Barasat in North 24 Parganas, and the fourth one at Siliguri in Darjeeling district from March 1 to 9.