With an eye on the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ramping up its political engagement in the state, as party insiders reveal that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah are expected to visit Bengal alternatively once every month until the polls.
PM Modi is scheduled to address a public rally and attend an administrative meeting in Alipurduar on 29 May. Two days later, on the night of 31 May, Amit Shah is likely to arrive in Kolkata, with a series of high-level meetings slated for the following day, party sources said. The BJP’s top leadership is reportedly concerned about the party’s weak presence in over 77,000 polling booths across West Bengal. Despite repeated instructions from Shah to strengthen booth-level committees, organisational gaps persist. Shah’s upcoming visit is expected to focus heavily on electoral strategy and grassroots mobilisation.
A senior BJP leader in Bengal, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that internal rifts and lack of coordination have hampered the party’s state unit. “Only intervention from the central leadership can bring order and direction ahead of 2026,” the leader said. Shah’s itinerary on 1 June includes a potential appearance at a programme at Science City, a closed-door session with state office-bearers, and a strategy meeting with MPs and MLAs. He is likely to return to Delhi later that night or early on 2 June. The West Bengal BJP is yet to confirm the final details of his visit.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has convened a legislative party meeting on 26 May, during which the Modi-Shah visits are expected to be discussed in detail. PM Modi’s 29 May visit to Alipurduar is also aimed at highlighting the success of Operation Sindoor. He will address two separate programmes at the local parade ground – one public rally and one administrative review – with Alipurduar MP Manoj Tigga and district leaders overseeing the arrangements. The BJP appears to be taking a more cautious and strategic approach to the 2026 polls, learning from its 2021 performance. Party insiders indicate that this series of high-level visits is part of a broader effort to revive organisational strength and voter confidence across the state.