PM Modi will visit West Bengal's Nadia to inaugurate highway projects and address a rally amid tension over the SIR electoral roll revision. The visit focuses on Matua community concerns and signals BJP’s early push for the 2026 assembly elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit West Bengal’s Nadia district on Saturday, where he will inaugurate major national highway projects and address a large public rally. The visit comes at a sensitive political moment, with rising tension in the state over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
This will be Modi’s first visit to West Bengal since the draft SIR rolls were published and his third visit in the last five months. Political observers see the trip as an important step in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s early campaign planning for the assembly elections due early next year.
Focus on Matua community concerns
The Prime Minister is expected to address concerns among the Matua community, a Dalit Hindu group that migrated from Bangladesh over several decades due to religious persecution. His rally will be held in Taherpur in Ranaghat, a strategic location close to Bongaon, considered the heartland of the Namasudra Hindu community.
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Observers say the venue has been carefully chosen to send a political message. The publication of the draft electoral rolls has caused fear and confusion among many Matua families, especially over documentation and voter status.
The community is believed to have a strong influence in around 80 of West Bengal’s 294 assembly seats, making it a key voting bloc in the upcoming elections.
SIR exercise sparks major political debate
The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) has strongly opposed the SIR exercise, alleging that it is being carried out in haste and could lead to the removal of genuine voters from the rolls.
After the enumeration phase, 58,20,899 names were excluded from the draft electoral rolls, reducing the total electorate to 7.08 crore. In addition, 1.36 crore entries have been flagged for 'logical discrepancies', and 30 lakh voters have been marked as 'unmapped'.
A large number of these voters may be called for verification hearings over the next 45 days. The TMC claims that many affected voters are refugee Hindus, including members of the Matua community.
Fears of disenfranchisement among Matuas
Speculation is growing that significant numbers of Matuas have already been left out of the draft rolls. Many more may face trouble during the final verification phase because they may not have the documents specified by the Election Commission.
These fears have revived long-standing anxieties about identity, citizenship and political rights within the community. Over the years, the BJP has made visible gains among Matuas by promising them formal Indian citizenship.
BJP counters TMC claims
BJP leaders say fear is being deliberately spread. Jagannath Sarkar, BJP MP from the Ranaghat Lok Sabha seat, said misinformation was being used to create panic.
“We are hopeful that the Prime Minister’s message will clear these fears and false claims,” Sarkar said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has led several anti-SIR rallies in Nadia and North 24 Parganas, districts that border Bangladesh and have a high Matua population.
Modi attacks TMC governance
Ahead of his visit, Modi shared a strong message on X on Friday evening. He said people in West Bengal were benefiting from welfare schemes of the central government but were suffering due to what he called the TMC’s misgovernance.
“The loot and intimidation of the TMC have crossed all limits. That is why the BJP is the people’s hope,” he wrote.
Major highway projects worth Rs 3,200 crore
During the visit, PM Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for two national highway projects worth around Rs 3,200 crore.
He will inaugurate the 66.7-km four-laning of the Barajaguli–Krishnanagar section of NH-34 in Nadia district. He will also lay the foundation stone for the 17.6-km four-laning of the Barasat–Barajaguli section in North 24 Parganas.
Officials said these projects will improve connectivity between Kolkata and Siliguri, helping trade, tourism and economic growth across southern and northern Bengal.
A visit with political and economic signals
PM Modi’s Nadia visit combines development messaging with sharp political signalling. As the SIR debate continues and election season approaches, the rally is expected to set the tone for the BJP's strategy in West Bengal.
