Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Nadia district in West Bengal on Saturday, where he will inaugurate national highway projects and address a public rally amid rising political tensions over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. This marks Modi’s first visit since the draft SIR lists were released and his third in the state over the past five months.

Political analysts say the PM’s rally in Taherpur, Ranaghat—close to the Namasudra Hindu community stronghold in Bongaon—aims to address concerns among the Matua community following the draft list’s publication. The visit is also seen as a key move in the BJP’s preparations for next year’s assembly elections. On X, Modi highlighted the central government’s pro-people initiatives in West Bengal while criticizing the TMC’s governance, calling the party’s “loot and intimidation” excessive and positioning the BJP as the people’s hope.

The Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, has strongly opposed the SIR, alleging it risks disenfranchising genuine voters, especially refugee Hindus. The draft electoral rolls show 58.2 lakh names removed, 1.36 crore entries flagged for discrepancies, and 30 lakh voters marked as unmapped, many of whom will face verification hearings in the coming 45 days.

The Matua community, a Dalit Hindu group that migrated from Bangladesh, is particularly anxious about potential exclusion. Analysts note that Matuas influence up to 80 of West Bengal’s 294 assembly seats. While many have reportedly been excluded from the draft rolls, additional exclusions are expected in the final lists due to lack of proper documentation. The BJP has previously gained support from the community by promising citizenship. BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar of Ranaghat expressed hope that Modi’s message would reassure the community. Meanwhile, Banerjee has led anti-SIR rallies in Nadia and North 24 Parganas, districts with significant Matua populations.

During his visit, Modi will inaugurate the four-laning of the 66.7 km Barajaguli-Krishnanagar section of NH-34 in Nadia and lay the foundation for the 17.6 km Barasat-Barajaguli section in North 24 Parganas. The Rs 3,200 crore projects are expected to strengthen connectivity between Kolkata and Siliguri, boosting trade, tourism, and economic activity in the region.