Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a two-day West Bengal visit today, unveiling major infrastructure projects and addressing rallies amid sharp political tensions
Kolkata
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit West Bengal today and tomorrow, January 17-18, to attend government programmes and address political rallies, amid a bitter dispute over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Enforcement Directorate’s raid on TMC-linked consultancy I-PAC.
On January 17, Modi will reach Malda around 12:45 pm, flag off India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train between Howrah and Guwahati, and dedicate rail and road projects worth over Rs 3,250 crore. The PM will lay foundation stones for new railway lines, freight and maintenance facilities, and electrification projects.
On January 18, he will visit Singur in Hooghly district, inaugurating and flagging off development projects worth around Rs 830 crore. Singur, the former site of Tata Motors’ Nano plant, remains politically symbolic. BJP leaders hope Modi’s address will underscore industrial growth and investments, contrasting TMC’s land-acquisition legacy.
The TMC has accused the BJP and Election Commission of harassing citizens through SIR, while BJP claims it is essential to remove illegal voters. The ED-I-PAC controversy further intensified political tensions, with Mamata Banerjee alleging attempts to steal election strategies.
Modi’s two-day visit combines governance announcements, political messaging, and infrastructure inaugurations, aimed at bolstering BJP’s visibility ahead of upcoming state polls, while addressing the contested electoral environment in Bengal.
