Kolkata, May 28 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit West Bengal on Thursday, his first trip to the state after the success of 'Operation Sindoor' earlier this month and a year ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, to lay the foundation of a gas distribution project and address a rally in Alipurduar.
During the visit, Modi will lay the foundation stone for an Rs 1,010-crore City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts and later address a public rally in Alipurduar, BJP leaders said.
State BJP president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar told PTI that both the government events and the rally would be held in adjoining areas of the north Bengal districts.
"The Prime Minister will first attend the government programme and then address the public meeting. In the evening, he will leave for Patna," Majumdar said.
The visit comes amid heightened political activity in Bengal, with the BJP seeking to regroup ahead of the 2026 polls, and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) mounting a sharp attack over the alleged withholding of central funds.
Modi, who will attend a function in Sikkim earlier in the day, is expected to arrive in Alipurduar after 1 pm, a senior state BJP leader said.
A statement by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said the CGD project will supply Piped Natural Gas (PNG) to more than 2.5 lakh households and over 100 commercial and industrial establishments in the two districts.
In addition, around 19 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations will be set up in line with the Minimum Work Programme targets.
The initiative, the government said, will provide a reliable, environment-friendly and cost-effective fuel supply, while also generating employment in the region.
BJP leaders hope the PM's address in Alipurduar will energise the party's grassroots machinery.
"We will take the PM's message to every household," a senior functionary said.
However, the TMC took a dig at Modi's visit, referring to him as a "migratory bird" in an apparent jibe at political leaders making periodic visits ahead of elections.
"Since the migratory birds are making their seasonal visit to Bengal, why not answer one simple question: Why is the Centre still withholding Bengal's rightful dues amounting to Rs 1.7 lakh crore?" the party posted on X, without naming the PM.
The BJP, meanwhile, is facing internal tremors in Alipurduar following the defection of former MP John Barla to the TMC.
Barla, a former Union minister, accused BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari of "stalling development in the region".
In a related development, a group of sacked school teachers have sought a five-minute meeting with the PM during his Alipurduar visit, urging him to intervene in their crisis.
The teachers' appointments were cancelled following a recent Supreme Court order that flagged large-scale irregularities in West Bengal's school recruitment process.
A group of affected teachers have already reached Alipurduar and submitted letters to the local MP, BJP leaders and the district administration, requesting a brief audience with the PM.
"We want to meet the Prime Minister in Alipurduar. We have written to the local MP, BJP's district president and the district magistrate. We request the PM to speak to us and help resolve our issue," said Chinmoy Mondal, one of the aggrieved teachers.