"Change in West Bengal very necessary," says Dilip Ghosh as BJP's Parivartan Yatra begins

Asansol (West Bengal) [India], March 1 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dilip Ghosh on Sunday said that change in West Bengal is "very necessary," adding that the party's Parivartan Yatra aims to clearly communicate what a change in government would mean for the people.
Speaking in Asansol, Ghosh highlighted the lack of employment and industrial growth in the state, noting that around 50 lakh youths have migrated to other states for work.
"Change is very necessary in West Bengal. The people here also want change, and we also want change. That's why, through this Yatra, we are sending a message to the people about why change is necessary and what change means. Around 50 lakhs of our youth have gone to other states for work. We want our youth to live here, work here, and move Bengal forward. There is no industry here, no business here, no jobs here," he told ANI.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Annapurna Devi described the turnout of Parivartan Yatra as "huge" and reiterated the public demand for change after 15 years of alleged bad governance and corruption. She said the people of Bengal have made a firm resolve that this time, change will be inevitable, and a BJP government will be formed.
"A huge crowd has gathered in the Parivartan Yatra. Just as West Bengal has been fed up with bad governance and corruption for the last 15 years, Bengal wants change and has made a firm resolve that this time change will be inevitable and a BJP government will definitely be formed in West Bengal. These people have made a firm resolve," Devi told ANI.
The Parivartan Yatra is a massive statewide campaign ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, expected to cover over 5,000 km, including 63 major rallies and 282 smaller gatherings, culminating in a grand rally at Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
BJP President Nitin Nabin is scheduled to address rallies in Cooch Behar and Uttar Dinajpur, Union Ministers J P Nadda in Nadia Uttar, Dharmendra Pradhan in Jhargram, and Annapurna Devi and Smriti Irani in Purulia and Asansol.
On March 2, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address gatherings in South 24 Paraganas, Rajnath Singh in Howrah-Hooghly, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in Burdwan, and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in North 24 Paraganas, alongside several senior party leaders.
The BJP aims to highlight corruption, women's safety, illegal infiltration, threats to national security, and failures in state governance, while emphasising development, employment, and urban-rural infrastructure. Party sources said the campaign targets over 1 crore direct citizen touchpoints, strengthening booth-level engagement and organisational outreach.
West Bengal BJP Chief Samik Bhattacharya, Union Ministers Sukanta Majumdar and Shantanu Thakur, and leaders including Suvendu Adhikari, Dilip Ghosh, Mithun Chakraborty, Locket Chatterjee, and Rahul Sinha will also participate to galvanise local support and mobilise voters across the state. (ANI)