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Alipurduar is significant owing to its proximity to the strategically vital ‘Chicken’s Neck’ or the Siliguri Corridor
A visit by PM Modi is expected to energise the party’s regional cadre. (PTI File)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Alipurduar in West Bengal on May 29, according to local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sources, although there is no official confirmation yet. Sources told News18 that the Prime Minister is expected to hold a public meeting in the region.
Alipurduar is significant owing to its proximity to the strategically vital ‘Chicken’s Neck’ or the Siliguri Corridor. This narrow stretch of land connects mainland India to its northeastern states and is critical to India’s geopolitical and economic interests. The area also lies close to the Bangladesh border, adding to its strategic importance.
The Hasimara Airbase is also located in Alipurduar, which makes it strategically important. Sources say the PM is likely to visit Sikkim to which is also import strategically.
The visit gains further weight in the context of recent international developments. A comment by Bangladesh’s interim chief Mohammad Yunus about “seven sisters“, following India’s decision to restrict imports, has drawn attention to the delicate nature of India-Bangladesh relations.
A visit by the Prime Minister to this sensitive region would, according to local BJP leaders, carry considerable geopolitical significance.
With general elections scheduled next year and the BJP maintaining a stronghold in North Bengal, a visit by PM Modi is expected to energise the party’s regional cadre. The BJP secured key seats in North Bengal in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, including Darjeeling, Alipurduar, and Balurghat. However, the defection of former Union Minister of State John Barla to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was seen as a setback.
Party insiders believe that a visit and rally by the Prime Minister would give a significant morale boost to the BJP in Bengal and reinforce its presence in the strategically important region.
Kamalika Sengupta, Editor, Digital East of News18, is a multilingual journalist with 16 years of experience in covering the northeast, with specialisation in politics and defence. She has won UNICEF Laadli Awar…Read More
Kamalika Sengupta, Editor, Digital East of News18, is a multilingual journalist with 16 years of experience in covering the northeast, with specialisation in politics and defence. She has won UNICEF Laadli Awar… Read More
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