In a significant move aimed at bolstering infrastructure and signalling a strong developmental agenda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit West Bengal for the third time in recent months. While the inauguration of key metro railway projects in Kolkata is a major highlight, the visit is also pegged on a massive road development initiative—the foundation stone for the 7.2 km-long, six-lane elevated Kona Expressway, a project valued at over Rs 1,200 crore.
This visit, the Prime Minister’s second in the last two months, comes as West Bengal gears up for the 2026 Assembly elections. The repeated focus on infrastructure projects is being seen as a strategic effort by the BJP to showcase its commitment to the state’s development, to counter the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The centrepiece of the road development plan is the elevated Kona Expressway. This project, which will enhance connectivity between Howrah, its rural hinterland, and Kolkata, is expected to save commuters hours of travel time. It will cater to a long-standing issue of traffic congestion in the Howrah-Kolkata corridor.
Beyond the road project, the Prime Minister will be inaugurating several new metro lines that are set to revolutionise urban transport in Kolkata. These include the Noapara-Jai Hind Biman Bandar metro service, which will provide crucial connectivity to the airport; the Sealdah-Esplanade metro, which will drastically cut down travel time between two of the city’s busiest hubs; and the Beleghata–Hemanta Mukhopadhyay section, a vital link to the city’s burgeoning IT sector.
The visit comes just weeks after the Prime Minister was in Bengal on July 18 — days before the TMC’s annual ‘Shahid Divas’ mega-rally — and it also follows an earlier address in Alipurduar on May 29.
“As the BJP looks to consolidate its position ahead of the 2026 polls, its strategy appears to be a two-pronged approach, demonstrating the Central government’s investment in the state’s progress while simultaneously engaging with the local populace. This developmental push is intended to present a compelling alternative to the TMC government which has, over a period of time, highlighted how the Centre has deprived Bengal by not allocating funds for several welfare schemes. Moreover, the TMC is also fighting to overcome the instances in the last few years like the RG Kar rape and murder, the SSC scam, and others,” said a political analyst on condition of anonymity.