BJP steps up prep ahead of Modi’s Cooch Behar visit
The Statesman | 6 April 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Cooch Behar Town on Sunday, with the state BJP leadership stepping up preparations for his public meeting.
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Saturday visited the Raas Mela Ground to review arrangements ahead of the Prime Minister’s rally. Speaking to media persons in the evening, he said people across North Bengal are eagerly awaiting Mr Modi’s message.
Referring to the recent unrest in Malda, including the alleged confinement of judicial officers, the BJP leader described the incident as “pre-planned, motivated and endorsed” by the Trinamul Congress. He further alleged that names of minority voters were deliberately deleted from electoral rolls to provoke unrest and disrupt the electoral process.
Bhattacharya also raised concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging irregularities in the handling of Forms 6 and 7. He claimed that Form 7 applications were forcibly taken away and destroyed in certain areas, while genuine applicants under Form 6 are yet to be included in the voter list.
He urged the ECI to ensure a transparent and error-free revision process. He also demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar personally monitor the situation from Kolkata.
“The upcoming election is not merely between the BJP and the Trinamul Congress, but between the people and the ruling party,” Bhattacharya said, adding that only the BJP has the strength to defeat the Trinamul in the state.
Alleging a deterioration in law and order, Bhattacharya claimed that incidents of violence in Cooch Behar, particularly, indicate that the ruling Trinamul Congress is resorting to attacks out of fear of defeat. He alleged that BJP candidates and workers were being targeted.
He further expressed concern over alleged security threats in North Bengal, claiming that certain extremist elements were attempting to use border areas, including Cooch Behar, to establish sleeper cells.
Bhattacharya said the integrity of the electoral rolls and the conduct of free and fair elections would ultimately be judged by the Supreme Court of India and the people of West Bengal.