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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Durgapur in West Bengal on Friday. PM Modi will attend two programs in Durgapur. In the first program, PM Modi will inaugurate projects worth Rs 50 thousand crore at 3 pm. After 45 minutes, in the second program, PM Modi will address the Parivartan Sankalp Sabha at Nehru Stadium in Durgapur. This meeting is also considered very important politically. This rally of PM Modi is being held a few days before the annual ‘Shaheed Diwas’ mega rally of the state’s ruling party Trinamool Congress on July 21. Due to this, this meeting has special political importance. This meeting is considered to be the clarion call of political campaign before the 2026 assembly elections.
This is the second visit of the Prime Minister to the state in recent times. Earlier, he gave a speech in Alipurduar on May 29 after Operation Sindoor. Analysts will be keenly watching his speech, especially in view of the ongoing campaign of Trinamool Congress against the alleged targeting of Bengali migrants in BJP-ruled states. Mamata Banerjee has been accusing the central government of being biased against Bengali speakers. She alleged that Bengalis are being labelled Bangladeshis only for speaking Bengali.
Important BJP leaders are expected to attend the event, including newly appointed state party president Samik Bhattacharya, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Shubhendu Adhikari and actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty.
Former BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh, who has been less visible in party events recently, has also been confirmed to attend. BJP leaders and workers are expected to unite and protest tomorrow.
Will give the gift of a project worth crores
The Prime Minister will inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stone of several projects in various sectors, the total value of which is more than Rs 5,000 crore. These initiatives include oil and gas, power, road and rail infrastructure.
Prominent among these projects is the foundation stone laying of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited’s (BPCL) City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Bankura and Purulia districts, which will entail an investment of about Rs 1,950 crore. The aim of this project is to provide PNG connections to homes, businesses and industries, set up CNG retail shops and generate employment.
The Prime Minister will inaugurate a part of the Durgapur-Haldia natural gas pipeline projects. He will inaugurate the 132 km long Durgapur-Kolkata section, which is a part of the Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra pipelines.
These areas of Bengal will benefit from the projects
This section, costing more than Rs 1,190 crore, passes through East Bardhaman, Hooghly and Nadia districts, which will ensure the supply of natural gas to homes and will also generate employment during its construction.
Taking a step towards clean energy, PM Modi will also dedicate retrofitting pollution control systems – Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) system at Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Station and Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station of Damodar Valley Corporation. These projects costing over Rs 1,457 crore will help in generating clean energy and create employment opportunities.
Rail infrastructure will also get a boost with the inauguration of the doubled Purulia-Kotshila rail line (36 km) at Purulia. The project cost is over Rs 390 crore. The upgradation will enhance rail connectivity with Ranchi and Kolkata for industries in Jamshedpur, Bokaro and Dhanbad, streamline movement of goods and reduce travel time.
How is PM’s rally politically significant?
The projects announced by PM Modi will primarily benefit Bankura, Purulia, Durgapur and Asansol areas of West Bengal. While on one hand these areas represent the tribal politics of Jangalmahal, on the other hand they are also the center of working class politics due to industrial and mining areas.
Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Vishnupur, Birbhum and West Medinipur districts come in Jangalmahal. There are a total of 40 assembly seats in these. In Asansol, the PM’s meeting will have an impact on Pandaveshwar assembly seat, Raniganj assembly seat, Jamuria assembly seat, Barabani assembly seat, Asansol South assembly seat, Asansol North assembly seat and Kulti assembly seat.
Bardhaman South, Bardhaman North, Bhatar, Galsi, Pandaveshwar, Durgapur West and Memari assembly seats of Bardhaman Durgapur Lok Sabha constituency will be affected. Overall, PM Modi’s visit will have an impact on about 50 to 60 assembly seats.
PM Modi will address the Parivartan Sankalp Sabha at Nehru Stadium in Durgapur. From this meeting, PM Modi will call for change in Bengal. PM Modi is likely to attack Mamata Banerjee’s government from this rally and will also call for change in the state.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP defeated Trinamool and registered a big victory in Bankura Lok Sabha seat. However, in the 2021 assembly elections, TMC strengthened its hold again. Water crisis, tribal welfare schemes and development of infrastructure remain the main election issues in the area.
Political awareness has increased rapidly among the tribal-dominated population in this district bordering Jharkhand. In 2019, BJP gave a big blow to TMC by winning the Lok Sabha seat in this district too. However, in the assembly elections, TMC made some recovery and tried to stop the BJP wave. Here electoral equations are being formed on issues like education, health, water crisis and tribal rights.
Attempt to gain political advantage in Jangalmahal area
The politics of Durgapur, one of the major industrial centers of the country, is based on the working class and urban voters. TMC has strong control over the local bodies, but BJP has also performed remarkably at the assembly level in recent years. The victory of BJP MLA from Durgapur West indicated that the party’s roots are getting stronger here.
Asansol, Bengal’s second largest city, has become politically very sensitive due to mining and mixed population. In 2014 and 2019, BJP’s Babul Supriyo won the Lok Sabha elections here, but in the 2022 by-election, TMC won by fielding actor Shatrughan Sinha. The inclination of Hindi-speaking and tribal voters can make the election results decisive here.
