Paschim Medinipur (West Bengal) [India], March 1 (ANI): Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday announced the commencement of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Parivartan Yatra across West Bengal, saying that the people of the state have decided to bring an end to a 'corrupt, atrocious, and infiltration-supporting government.'

Speaking to ANI after offering prayers at the Sarbamangala temple here, Pradhan stressed that India is a sovereign country and only Indian citizens are allowed to vote, warning that illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators cannot be allowed to influence the elections.

'The BJP's Parivartan Yatra begins today across West Bengal. The people of West Bengal have made up their minds to change this corrupt, atrocious, and infiltration-supporting government... This is India, and only Indian citizens are allowed to vote here. We cannot allow illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators to cast votes in this election,' he said.

The BJP's Parivartan Yatra is packed with public meetings featuring top central leaders.

On March 1, BJP President Nitin Nabin will address a rally in Cooch Behar, while Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda will speak in Nadia Uttar.

Additionally, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will lead a meeting in Jhargram, while Union Minister of Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi and Former Union Minister Smriti Irani will address a gathering in Purulia, Asansol.

The next day, on March 2, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be addressing in South 24 Paraganas, Mathurapur Raidighi, Rajnath Singh in Howrah Hoogly, while Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will lead a meeting in Burdwan.

Further, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will lead a meeting in North 24 Paraganas, Basirhat, and Sandeshkhali, and BJP President Nitin Nabin will address the gathering in Uttar Dinajpur, Malda.

Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP Chief Samik Bhattacharya, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar, Union MoS for Ports Shantanu Thakur, and BJP leaders Suvendu Adhikari, Dilip Ghosh, Mithun Chakraborty, Locket Chatterjee and Rahul Sinha will also participate in the events with senior leaders on March 1 and 2.

The Parivartan Yatra is expected to cover over 5,000 km, with 63 major public meetings and 282 smaller gatherings, culminating in a massive rally scheduled to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground.

After more than a decade, the BJP in West Bengal is officially launching a historic, statewide 'Parivartan Yatra.'

Operating under the unified rallying cry, 'Paltano Dorkar, Chai BJP Sorkar' (There is a need for change, we want a BJP government), this massive campaign is designed to establish absolute physical dominance and grassroots engagement ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

To ensure the 'message of change' reaches every corner of the state, the yatra has been engineered to demonstrate unparalleled organisational strength. As a part of the campaign, nine simultaneous yatras will be held, running in parallel across all nine organisational departments of West Bengal.

The campaign will cover approximately 5000 kilometres, saturating 38 Organisational Districts and 230+ Vidhan Sabhas. Direct Citizen Engagement: The operation targets more than 1 crore direct citizen touchpoints to establish unbreakable eye-contact with the electorate. The Yatra will include 63 major rallies, alongside 281 Swagat Sabhas at the entry points of every Vidhan Sabha. The communication architecture of the Yatra will focus heavily on Governance, Accountability, and Systemic Change.

According to the BJP, the campaign will aggressively highlight the total collapse of women's safety in the state, the rampant corruption in the education sector (teacher recruitment scams), and the severe threats to national security. We will spotlight the alarming demographic shifts, illegal infiltration, and the rise of extremist elements in border districts.

In rural Bengal, the focus will be on agricultural infrastructure, transparent implementation of central schemes, and the complete elimination of middleman corruption. For urban areas, the focus will shift to industrial development, youth employment, and urban mobility. The strategic deployment of over 100 prominent central and state leaders is explicitly designed to galvanise booth-level workers and the public.

The campaign kicks off with 5 Udghatan Sabhas on March 1, followed by 4 additional launches on March 2. Key deployments will include top brass such as Amit Shah, Nitin Nabin, J P Nadda, Rajnath Singh, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Following a brief halt for Holi, the Yatras will execute 6 days of relentless movement, operating 9 hours a day to shift the narrative to unstoppable momentum. The Yatra will ultimately culminate in a massive central public meeting at the Brigade Ground in Kolkata, addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, likely on March 15. (ANI)