In a bid to boost the morale of the BJP workers in West Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has promised to visit the state at regular intervals from now onwards, in the run upto the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Shah, who met the saffron party MPs, MLAs and other senior leaders at a close-door meeting on Friday, assured the senior party leaders that he will visit the state at regular intervals and the party should fight Trinamool Congress politically, a senior party leader told ET. Shah has also asked the BJP to get ready for the 2024 election from now.

Citing the example of Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee, who fought CPI-M with grit and determination, and defeated the 34-year-rule regime of the Left Front, Shah told the party workers if Banerjee could defeat the ruling CPI-M, the BJP workers will also be able to fight. Now as the Chief Minister, Banerjee is following the same path of suppressing the opposition in an undemocratic manner like CPM,” sources said, quoting Shah.

Amit Shah has given his own example, saying that while in Opposition he had to face atrocities and several cases were lodged against him, sources told ET.

During the meeting, in a message to the party leaders, Shah, who held a high-level meeting, made it clear that imposition of Article 355 is not an option for West Bengal, where Trinamool Congress has come to power with a huge mandate recently. “The BJP should fight Trinamool politically and emerge victorious in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. If you are in opposition, you have to tolerate these things,” Shah told BJP leaders in the close-door meeting, sources told ET.