Kolkata, Nov 17 (IANS): One of the three BJP-sponsored 'rath-yatras' due in West Bengal next month has been rescheduled as party president Amit Shah, who is supposed to kick off the rallies, will be busy in the Telengana poll campaign, a state BJP leader said on Saturday.

The three 'rath-yatras' were earlier scheduled on December 5, 7 and 9 from Bengal's temple town Tarapith, north Bengal's Cooch Behar and south Bengal's Gangasagar respectively. They will cover all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state before converging in Kolkata on the second week of January.

"Amit Shah-ji will be busy campaigning for the party before assembly elections in Telengana. So, he would would be available on December 5. Hence, the rath-yatra, which was scheduled from Tarapith on December 5, will start on December 14 instead," BJP National Secretary Rahul Sinha said.

The legislative assembly polls in Telangana will be held on December 7.

"However, the two other rath-yatras from Cooch Behar district on December 7 and from Gangasagar on December 9 will start as per schedule," he added.