Kolkata, Dec 20 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch the BJP's ongoing campaign aimed at countering the Trinamool Congress regarding the controversial citizenship issues affecting the Matua community. This significant rally will take place in the Matua-centric Taherpur area, located in the Ranaghat sub-division of Nadia district, West Bengal on Saturday.

According to the Prime Minister's provisional itinerary, he is expected to arrive at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata from New Delhi via a special flight at approximately 10:30 a.m. Following his arrival, he will head to Ranaghat town by helicopter.

Upon reaching the helipad in Ranaghat around 11:15 a.m., the Prime Minister will travel to Taherpur by road.

At Taherpur, there will be two distinct platforms nearby. From the first platform, the Prime Minister will virtually inaugurate a series of central government projects in West Bengal.

Insiders from the West Bengal BJP indicate that PM Modi is unlikely to make any political statements during this segment.

Subsequently, he will proceed to the second platform where he will hold a political rally. Both events will see the presence of Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari.

A member of the BJP's state committee in West Bengal commented, "The Trinamool Congress is attempting to propagate a negative narrative concerning the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which significantly impacts the Matuas. During the Taherpur rally today, the Prime Minister is anticipated to address these negative portrayals and reassure the Matua community regarding their concerns."

The Matuas are part of a socially disadvantaged Hindu community that migrated to West Bengal as religious refugees from Bangladesh over the years; they represent a considerable portion of the electorate in two districts near the Bangladesh border— North 24 Parganas and Nadia.

Since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, many Matua voters have consistently supported the BJP in subsequent elections.

Political analysts believe that if the BJP aims to realize its ambition of gaining power in West Bengal after the upcoming Assembly elections, it is crucial to secure victories for their candidates in the Matua-dominated constituencies statewide, particularly in Nadia and North 24 Parganas.

This strategic choice of Ranaghat as the venue for the major rally is likely due to its significance in the BJP's counter-campaign against the Trinamool Congress's narratives on the SIR's influence on Matua voters, according to a local political analyst.

Furthermore, these analysts suggest that the BJP's early initiation of its Assembly poll campaigning, especially with the involvement of the Prime Minister, reinforces the credibility of their recent slogan: 'After Odisha in 2024 and Bihar in 2025, it will be West Bengal in 2026', following their sweeping victory in Bihar.