Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming public meeting in Alipurduar on May 29 is shaping up to be more than a routine political event. After the successful military crackdown Operation Sindoor, the visit is being viewed through dual lenses—as a signal to India’s eastern neighbours and a political springboard for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the crucial 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

While PM Modi’s previous appearance at the Adampur Air Force Base on the western front sent a stern message to Pakistan, his upcoming address in Alipurduar—a strategically located district close to Bhutan, Bangladesh and China— is expected to carry geopolitical significance as well.

From the stage of the Alipurduar Parade Ground, situated not far from Northeast India and in the shadow of the Hasimara Air Force Station that houses a Rafale fighter jet squadron, Modi is expected to assert India’s regional military readiness and diplomatic posture.

Beyond its geopolitical undertones, the visit carries potent electoral overtones. Alipurduar lies at the heart of North Bengal—a region where the BJP has consistently outperformed its rivals. In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the BJP secured 30 of the 54 seats in North Bengal. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party bagged seven out of eight seats in the region and despite a slight dip, managed to retain six seats in 2024 general elections.

This makes North Bengal one of the few remaining strongholds for the saffron party in a state otherwise dominated by the Trinamool Congress (TMC). BJP leaders, including Alipurduar MP Manoj Tigga, have already framed Modi’s visit as the unofficial beginning of the 2026 Assembly campaign. Tigga asserted that the BJP is preparing to reclaim its influence and sweep all seven seats in the Alipurduar Lok Sabha constituency, adding that the public outrage against state-level corruption and increasing protests indicate a shift in voter sentiment away from the TMC.

Tigga also highlighted Modi’s historic association with the region, recalling his visits to Madarihat in 2011 and later as Prime Minister, reinforcing the BJP’s sustained focus on North Bengal as a launchpad for broader electoral ambitions in the state.

Preparations for the public meeting are in full swing. Local BJP leaders rushed to the Parade Ground to oversee logistics and rally support. According to sources, Prime Minister Modi will arrive at Hasimara Air Force Station from New Delhi, before being airlifted to the meeting venue. Though it is yet to be confirmed, he may hold a closed-door discussion with Air Force personnel—an indication of the military aspect of his visit.

Geopolitical signal from the East

The Indian government’s assertive foreign policy has recently taken center stage following Operation Sindoor, launched in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. The operation, which targeted terror hideouts with precision, has been followed by an aggressive diplomatic campaign—Indian MPs are being dispatched to over 30 countries to expose Pakistan’s support for terrorism. In this charged atmosphere, Modi’s presence in Alipurduar—close to China’s Siliguri Corridor interest and Bangladesh’s northern border—raises the stakes.

Defense observers believe the Prime Minister’s visit will reinforce India’s surveillance and readiness posture in the eastern sector. With ongoing concerns over cross-border influence and infiltration, the symbolism of Modi speaking from a region anchored by an active airbase and nestled near multiple international frontiers is not lost.

In essence, PM Modi’s visit to Alipurduar is loaded with both strategic and electoral implications. It serves as a clear message to neighbors like China, Bangladesh and Pakistan that India remains vigilant and proactive in defending its borders, even as it also energises the BJP’s base in North Bengal—an area increasingly critical to the party’s vision of returning to power in West Bengal.

With rising cross-border tensions, drone surveillance incidents, and internal political flux, PM Modi’s presence in this sensitive region may well define both India’s regional diplomacy and the BJP’s electoral trajectory in the months to come.