Union Home Minister Amit Shah's special flight from Delhi to Kolkata was delayed two hours due to a severe thunderstorm lashing the city around Friday midnight. The aircraft circled over the airspace of neighbouring Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts amid lightning and heavy rain. Shah landed at 1:46 am on Saturday and departed for a city hotel at 2 am.
Airport sources reported that Union Home Minister Amit Shah's special aircraft from Delhi was scheduled to land in Kolkata at 11:46 pm but was delayed two hours by a 'nor'wester' thunderstorm. A senior party leader said Shah departed Delhi at 10:46 pm Friday. The plane hovered over Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts due to lightning and heavy rain before landing at 1:46 am Saturday.
Shah was received by senior state BJP leaders and left the airport in a convoy at 2 am for a city hotel.
The weather delay followed a similar incident with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's flight from Andal on March 26, which circled for an hour before landing.
On Saturday afternoon, Shah is set to release a BJP 'charge sheet' against the Trinamool Congress government at a New Town hotel. The document compiles the party's allegations ahead of West Bengal's upcoming assembly elections.
Shah has visited West Bengal frequently over the past two months for organisational meetings, public rallies, and outreach like the 'Poriborton Yatra' to bolster the BJP's grassroots network and election strategy.
