Almost a year after 2021 Bengal assembly polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit West Bengal on April 16 and 17.

The Union Home Minister is expected to attend a government programme at Indo-Bangladesh border Tin Bigha in Cooch Behar. Following the programme, Shah in all likelihood will meet Bengal BJP state leaders, sources told ET.

Notably, this will be his first visit since state elections 2021.

“Following the BJP’s poll debacle in 2021, this is first time that a central leader is visiting Bengal. We are looking forward to his suggestion for turning around of the party in Bengal,” BJP sources told ET.

J P Nadda had visited Bengal last May after incidents of post-poll violence occurred in the state BJP has witnessed major downslide with largescale defection to Trinamool Congress in the last 11 months after assembly polls result on May 2 and landslide victory of Trinamool Congress.

The BJP had won 77 seats, way below their target of 200 plus seats in Bengal assembly, following which their dreams of forming the government was shattered.

The months following the May 2 results, the party witnessed psot-poll violence and defection of senior leaders starting from heavyweight leader Mukul Roy, who had won the Krishnagar seat.

The total number of BJP MLAs got reduced from 77 to 70 following defection from both North and South Bengal.