Bharatiya Janata Party national president Jagat Prakash Nadda, who arrived in the city on Friday night, is set to launch the party's 'Rath Yatra' in West Bengal on Saturday to mobilise public support ahead of the Assembly elections. He was received at the airport by party national vice-president Mukul Roy and national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.

According to sources in the saffron camp, Nadda is scheduled to kick off the 'Parivartan Yatra' on Saturday from Nabadwip in Nadia district, the birthplace of 15th-century saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to inaugurate two of the five proposed yatras later this month.

Nadda will first visit Malda in the morning to take part in a roadshow and two other programmes in the district, the source said. In the afternoon, he will launch the Rath Yatra', also named 'Parivartan Yatra' from Nabadwip.

Several senior BJP leaders are scheduled to arrive in West Bengal during the month-long campaign, set to start from Nadia on Saturday. The party intends to launch similar yatras from Coochbehar, Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Tarapith in Birbhum between February 6 and 11.

The state government has asked the BJP to seek permission from local district administrations before embarking on the yatra.