Traffic in Kolkata out of gear ahead of BJP's mega rally

Kolkata, Nov 29 (IANS) BJP supporters arriving from different parts of the state for the mega rally in central Kolkata is leading to a traffic congestion in various parts of the city.

A total of three processions from three different points will merge at the rally venue in central Kolkata, the spot where ruling Trinamool Congress organises its annual Martyrs' Day rally on July 21.

While one procession will start from Hind Cinema at the busy S.N. Banerjee road in central Kolkata, the other two processions will commence from Howrah and Sealdah stations. The last two processions will mainly consist of those coming to the city to attend the rally from the districts.

As per the information available from the state committee of BJP, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to arrive at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata at around 1 p.m.

From the airport, he will reach the helipad at Race Course Ground in central Kolkata by a chopper and proceed to the rally venue by road.

"He is expected to arrive at the rally venue by 2 p.m. and after addressing, he will return to the airport again in the same route before flying back to New Delhi," a BJP state committee member said.

Drop-boxes at one side of the dais of the rally, where people deprived of 100-day jobs under the MGNREGA scheme because of issuance of fake job cards, will be able to drop their written complaints.

Meanwhile, 1,000 personnel from the Kolkata Police have been deployed on the streets of Kolkata over the rally. One officer in the rank of joint commissioner of police is monitoring the entire process.