Preparations in full swing in north Bengal as Mamata, Abhishek & Modi line up rallies
The Statesman | 13 January 2026
Last-minute preparations are in full swing at Ghughumari Kadamtala in Cooch Behar, where Trinamul Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to address a political rally on Tuesday to highlight issues related to voting rights.
TMC leaders in Cooch Behar said arrangements are being finalised amid heightened political activity in the district, particularly after recent visits by state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya and other BJP leaders.
Meanwhile, the TMC leadership in Siliguri is gearing up to welcome Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is scheduled to visit north Bengal later this week. According to official sources, the Chief Minister will lay the foundation stone of the proposed Mahakal Temple at Matigara in Siliguri on 16 January. On 17 January, she will attend the inauguration of the new building of the Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court at Paharpur in Jalpaiguri, before returning to Kolkata the same day.
The political significance of the visits is underscored by the fact that while the Chief Minister will be attending official programmes in Jalpaiguri, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address two programmes in Malda, including a political rally, with an eye on the Assembly elections expected in mid-2026.
With the Assembly polls approaching, both the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP have intensified their campaign across the state.
On Sunday, Union minister of state for education Sukanta Majumdar campaigned in Jalpaiguri and alleged that the state government was attempting to create unrest ahead of the elections to invite Central intervention and garner sympathy votes.
Referring to the alleged attack on Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, Mr Majumdar claimed the incident occurred in the presence of the police and pointed to what he described as deterioration in law-and-order situation in West Bengal. “Stopping Opposition leaders, showing black flags, and attacking them ~ this cannot be called democracy,” he said.
Describing the incidents as an attempt to “murder democracy,” Mr Majumdar asserted that the BJP would resist any move to undermine democratic norms. He made the remarks while speaking to the media at Bagdogra Airport before leaving for a party meeting in Maynaguri.