Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in West Bengal today, where he is expected to address a BJP rally in Durgapur and launch multiple development projects worth over ₹5,000 crore. This visit holds political significance as the West Bengal Assembly elections are due in April-May next year. It also comes just days before Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief Mamata Banerjee's Martyrs Day rally on July 21.

During his visit, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for several projects related to oil and gas, power, road, and rail sectors.

One of the key projects is the foundation stone laying for the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Bankura and Purulia districts, worth around ₹1,950 crore. This project aims to provide piped natural gas (PNG) connections to households, commercial establishments, and industrial customers, as well as supply CNG at retail outlets, boosting employment opportunities in the region.

The Prime Minister will also dedicate to the nation the 132-km Durgapur-Kolkata section of the Durgapur-Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline. This section, built at a cost of ₹1,190 crore, is part of the Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline (PM Urja Ganga) project. It passes through Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, and Nadia districts and is expected to supply natural gas to lakhs of households, besides generating direct and indirect employment.

In line with the government's commitment to cleaner energy, Modi will dedicate the Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) systems installed at Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Station and Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station under the Damodar Valley Corporation. This pollution control retrofitting project, worth over ₹1,457 crore, is aimed at improving air quality in the region.

For railway infrastructure, the Prime Minister will dedicate the doubling of the 36-km Purulia-Kotshila rail line in Purulia, constructed at a cost of over ₹390 crore. This is expected to improve industrial connectivity between Jamshedpur, Bokaro, and Dhanbad with Ranchi and Kolkata, ensuring faster logistics and reduced travel time.

Additionally, two road overbridges (ROBs) built under the Setu Bharatam Programme at Topsi and Pandabeshwar in Paschim Bardhaman district will be inaugurated. Constructed at a cost of over ₹380 crore, these bridges aim to ease connectivity and prevent accidents at busy railway level crossings.

Ahead of his visit, PM Modi criticized the TMC, claiming that West Bengal is suffering due to their misrule. He urged people to attend the BJP rally in Durgapur, expressing confidence that only the BJP can deliver development.

Modi's visit comes amidst the TMC's protests against the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking migrants in BJP-ruled states. Mamata Banerjee has been vocal on this issue and held a protest march in Kolkata. Political observers believe that Banerjee is likely to use her Martyrs' Day rally to give a clear political message to the BJP and announce new schemes to attract voters.