PM Modi to address rally in Siliguri on Dec 16

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in Siliguri in north Bengal on December 16 during the BJP's "rath yatra" campaign, senior party leaders said.

Ahead of the parliamentary election next year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is organising three "rath yatras", (chariot march) titled 'Save Democracy Rally', in West Bengal this month.

In 40 days, the BJP will cover all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state where the party has set a target to win 22 seats in the general election due next year.

The first "rath yatra" will start on Friday from Cooch Behar in presence of party president Amit Shah. Modi's rally will be held in Siliguri when the march reaches there.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji will address a rath yatra rally on December 16 at Siliguri in North Bengal," a senior state BJP leader said.

Apart from the December 16 rally, Modi is likely to attend three more rallies during the "rath yatras" but the dates are yet to be finalised, said another senior BJP leader.

Besides the first yatra in north Bengal, Shah will also kickstart the other two -- from Gangasagar in the south on December 9 and the temple town of Tarapith in Birbhum district on December 14.