PM set for first Bengal rally after voter rolls release
After enumeration, draft rolls drop 58 lakh names, shrinking Bengal’s voter list to 7.08 crore
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to return to West Bengal on Saturday, marking his first visit to the state since the publication of the draft electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The visit, to Nadia district, comes at a politically sensitive moment, with tensions running high over alleged voter exclusions and growing unease among key communities ahead of next year’s Assembly elections.
Modi will inaugurate major national highway projects and address a public rally at Taherpur in the Ranaghat subdivision — a strategically chosen location close to areas with a significant Matua and Namasudra Hindu population. Political observers view the rally as a clear signal of the BJP’s intent to sharpen its electoral pitch in Bengal, especially among communities anxious about the implications of the draft voter lists.
The Prime Minister’s visit follows the release of draft electoral rolls that have sparked intense debate across the state. According to official data, over 58.2 lakh names have been excluded after the enumeration phase, bringing the total electorate down to 7.08 crore. Additionally, around 1.36 crore entries have been flagged for “logical discrepancies”, while nearly 30 lakh voters have been marked as “unmapped”, many of whom may be required to appear for verification hearings in the coming weeks.
These figures have triggered fears of disenfranchisement, particularly among the Matua community — a Dalit Hindu group that migrated from Bangladesh over decades due to religious persecution. For many Matuas, questions around documentation and identity are deeply personal, and the SIR exercise has revived old anxieties about recognition and belonging.
The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has emerged as the most vocal critic of the SIR process, accusing authorities of rushing the exercise and risking the exclusion of genuine voters, especially refugee Hindus. The Chief Minister has already led protests in Nadia and North 24 Parganas, border districts with substantial Matua populations, framing the issue as an assault on democratic rights.
The BJP, however, has rejected these claims. Ranaghat MP Jagannath Sarkar said fear was being deliberately spread and expressed confidence that Modi’s address would reassure voters.
On Friday evening, Modi struck a combative tone in a post on X, highlighting central government initiatives while accusing the TMC of “loot and intimidation”.
Beyond politics, the visit also underscores a development push. Modi will inaugurate the 66.7-km four-lane Barajaguli–Krishnanagar stretch of NH-34 and lay the foundation stone for the 17.6-km Barasat–Barajaguli section, projects worth around ₹3,200 crore. Officials say these highways will strengthen connectivity between Kolkata and Siliguri, boosting trade, tourism and economic activity across the state.
As Bengal heads toward a crucial election year, Modi’s rally is expected to blend development promises with sharp political messaging — an early marker of the high-stakes battle ahead.