Kolkata, July 17 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a crucial political rally at the industrial township of Durgapur in the West Burdwan district of West Bengal on Friday afternoon, with the scheduled rally gaining extra political significance for multiple reasons.

The meeting is being conducted just three days ahead of the Trinamool Congress’ annual Martyrs’ Day rally in Kolkata on July 21 and just two days after the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led protest march in the city on July 16 against alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states.

Political observers point out that since the Prime Minister’s rally is scheduled between the twin events of the Trinamool Congress, first on July 16 and then on July 21, it would be interesting to see how Narendra Modi, in his speech in Durgapur, brings a balance between attacking the state’s ruling dispensation on various issues and answering the allegations of Trinamool Congress on the plight of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states of Odisha, Assam and Delhi.

The Prime Minister’s rally will also be significant, as he is expected to set the tone for the campaign line to be adopted by the BJP for the crucial Assembly elections in West Bengal, scheduled for next year.

From the Prime Minister’s speech at Durgapur on Friday, the state unit of the BJP is expected to get an indication on whether to just follow the “hardline Hindutva agenda” in the campaign or also stress on “inclusive socio-economic development” for the people of the state.

At the same time, the state BJP leaders are also waiting to know how the Prime Minister, on Friday, would address the allegations by Trinamool Congress that the Special Intensive Review to be carried out by the Election Commission of India was an indirect attempt to slap the National Register of Citizens in West Bengal.

Another important factor is the choice of Durgapur as the venue for the political rally of the Prime Minister.

A state committee member of the BJP said that PM Modi’s address at Durgapur will cover the two vital Lok Sabha constituencies in West Burdwan district, namely Bardhaman-Durgapur and Asansol.

“Although we were defeated by narrow margins in 2024, our candidates got elected from there in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. So in that sense, both these Lok Sabha constituencies and the Assembly constituencies comprising them are extremely crucial for us, considering there is a huge Hindi-speaking Hindu population in this pocket. So Durgapur is the ideal choice for a venue from that perspective,” the state committee member said.

At the same time, Durgapur was chosen for its logistical advantages, considering its proximity to the Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport in Andal, so that it would not take much time for the Prime Minister to commute from the airport to the venue of the rally and return.

As per the schedule fixed so far, PM Modi will land at Andal airport at around 2.35 P.M. and from there he will reach the meeting venue at around 3 P.M. There are two stages at the meeting venue, one for the administrative programme of the Prime Minister and the other for his political programme.

The timing for the administrative event has been scheduled between 3 P.M. and 3.30 P.M, and that for the political programme between 3.45 P.M. to 4.15 P.M and PM Modi is scheduled to take the return flight from Andal to Delhi at 5 P.M.

–IANS

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