Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda are scheduled to arrive here on Monday night on a two-day visit to assess the organisational landscape in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls next year, according to a party leader.

Shah’s visit comes weeks before the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

On Tuesday, Shah is scheduled to visit a Gurudwara at Central Avenue in North Kolkata and the Kalighat Temple, where he will offer prayers. Following that, the Home Minister will hold a meeting with senior Bengal BJP leaders at a five-star hotel in the New Town area.

During the meeting, the senior leader may address issues such as the selection of candidates for the upcoming general elections and streamline the saffron party’s campaign strategy leading up to the polls, according to sources.

When asked if he will provide any advice on how to utilise the inauguration of the Ram Temple post-January during the poll campaign, a senior State leader stated, “Though the Ram Temple should not be viewed as a political tool, there will definitely be an impact.”

On Tuesday afternoon, the BJP leader will address a meeting of party workers at the National Library, where he may openly define the campaign strategy, as per sources.

Meanwhile, commenting on Shah’s visit, senior Bengal minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said on Monday that such visits would be a routine affair before the elections. He added that his party was not at all worried about such visits.

“Before 2021, Modi ji, Amit Shah ji, Nadda ji, and their entire brigade traveled to Bengal as daily passengers with a longing to capture power in Bengal. They were expecting to win more than 200 seats in a 294-strong Assembly. However, they only secured 77-78 seats. This time also, they will come and go like daily passengers, but their tally will come down to single digits,” Hakim said.

In 2019, the BJP surprised the entire country by winning 18 parliamentary seats from Bengal. The State sends 42 MPs to Delhi.