PM Narendra Modi's address to be streamed live across ten Durga puja pandals in West Bengal

The West Bengal BJP, as part of its strategy to connect with the masses during the festive season, has made arrangements to live-stream Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the people of the state, sources in the saffron party here said.

In a first, the state BJP Mahila Morcha -- women's wing of the party -- will be organising Durga puja at Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake.

According to the sources, Modi's virtual address on Maha Sasthi -- which marks the beginning of the five-day festival -- will set the tone for Durga puja this year.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji's address will be streamed live at EZCC as well as 10 other puja pandals across the state. The names of the ten pandals are yet to be finalized," BJP state vice-president Partap Banerjee said.

The party will also set up giant screens in several parts of the state to broadcast his speech.

Various cultural programmes, including gigs by folk artistes, have been lined up at EZCC next week.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly's wife Dona, a reputed Odissi danseuse, and her troupe will be performing at the inauguration ceremony, Banerjee said.

Earlier, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh had said the party wasn't directly involved in organising Durga puja anywhere, fuelling speculation of a rift within the party. Ghosh, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, is currently undergoing treatment at a city hospital.

Eyes set on Assembly elections, likely to held in April-May next year, both the TMC and the BJP are going all out to woo people and strengthen their vote banks.

With the BJP's strength having increased manifold over the last few years in Bengal, where it has never been in power, party leaders have expressed confidence that the saffron surge will end Mamata Banerjee's decade-long rule in the state.