PM Narendra Modi will address a rally in Singur, West Bengal, on Jan 18, a symbolic choice recalling the Tata Nano plant protests. BJP President JP Nadda is also visiting to review the party's preparations for the 2026 Assembly election.
BJP Leaders' High-Profile West Bengal Visits
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address a public gathering in Singur, Hooghly district, on January 18, during his planned two-day visit to West Bengal. He will also visit Malda. BJP sources say PM Modi will address a massive rally at Tata Field, Singur, drawing lakhs. Local leaders are handling preparations. BJP leaders believe Modi's visit will send a strong message on industrial development.
The choice of Singur is symbolic, given Mamata Banerjee's 2006 protests against land acquisition for Tata Motors' Nano project, which led the company to shift production to Gujarat. Ironically, Singur now regrets its support for Banerjee. Meanwhile, BJP national president JP Nadda will visit West Bengal on January 8th and 9th to review the party's preparations for the 2026 Assembly election. He'll meet district leaders, party workers, and members of the BJP Doctors' Cell to gather feedback on ground-level issues. BJP working president Nitin Nabin will also visit West Bengal soon, according to party sources.
The Symbolic Significance of Singur
The iconic 2006 Singur land protests powered Mamata Banerjee to power 5 years later, ending West Bengal's 34-year Left rule. Fast forward to 2021: Singur regrets backing Banerjee; farmers blame the Trinamool Congress for failing to revive their fallow land after the Tata Nano exit. Banerjee's agitation forced Tata Motors to relocate to Gujarat; now, Singur locals hope to bring industry back.
Centre Slams TMC Government Over State's Development
Earlier during the winter session of parliament, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the Rajya Sabha, asserting that West Bengal's development is being deliberately stifled by its own state leadership, despite record support from the Centre. Replying to the discussion on the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, FM Sitharaman highlighted that West Bengal has never been ignored by the Narendra Modi-led government. On the contrary, she said, "It is the TMC government that is hurting the growth of the people of West Bengal. West Bengal withdrew from the Ayushman Bharat Scheme in January 2019. Is that good for the people of Bengal? Industries have been leaving West Bengal from 1 April 2011 to 30 September 2025, with 448 listed companies and 6,447 unlisted companies exiting the state.
Central Government's Financial Support Highlighted
Since 2014, Rs. 5.94 lakh crore has been given to West Bengal as tax devolution - a 4.4x increase compared to the Rs. 1.34 lakh crore provided during 2004-14. Under SASCI, Rs. 24,000 crore has been provided as 50-year interest-free loans. AIIMS Kalyani in West Bengal has been opened. Eleven medical colleges have been approved in West Bengal under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS). Under the NDA government, West Bengal received a record railway budget allocation of Rs. 13,955 crore for 2025-26, more than three times the average outlay of Rs. 4,380 crore during 2009-14. 101 Amrit Stations are being developed in West Bengal at a cost of Rs. 3,847.5 crore. 1,650 km of railway lines have been electrified, bringing total electrification in West Bengal to over 98%. Over 2,300 km of National Highways have been constructed in West Bengal since April 2014. In August 2024, the Government of India approved the development of Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri, West Bengal, at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,549 crore. (ANI)
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