Bengal First For Nitin Nabin As BJP’s New Chief Zeroes In On Bardhaman-Durgapur For Maiden Rally

Last Updated:January 22, 2026, 14:36 IST

BJP has been attempting to rebuild its narrative in Bengal’s industrial and semi-industrial regions, where economic stagnation and job losses have become political flashpoints

Nitin Nabin, 45, was appointed as the BJP's working president on December 14, 2025, and will be the youngest ever to hold the post of national president. (Image: PTI/File)

BJP’s newly appointed national president Nitin Nabin has chosen West Bengal as the destination for his first official tour after taking charge, underlining the party’s intent to sharpen its political offensive in one of its toughest battlegrounds ahead of assembly elections.

Nabin is scheduled to be on a two-day visit to the state beginning January 27, with primary plans indicating stops in Durgapur and Bardhaman, both key centres in Bengal’s industrial belt. Sources told News18 that he is expected to hold his first public rally as BJP national president on January 28, marking the formal launch of his mass political outreach in the new role.

While Nabin’s office has not yet issued a formal announcement, sources said a verbal go-ahead has already been given for preparations related to both the visit and the rally. Senior state leaders have begun logistical arrangements, suggesting the trip is effectively confirmed.

INDUSTRIAL BELT, 4 AREAS IN FOCUS

The choice of Durgapur and Bardhaman is seen as strategic. The BJP has been attempting to rebuild its narrative in Bengal’s industrial and semi-industrial regions, where economic stagnation, job losses, and infrastructure concerns have increasingly become political flashpoints. Party insiders say Nabin’s focus on the industrial belt is meant to connect economic underperformance with what the BJP describes as governance failures of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government.

According to sources, Nabin has identified four core areas where the Bengal BJP will be asked to counter the ruling TMC “relentlessly" until the elections: rise in crimes against women, alleged appeasement politics, state’s economic lag compared to other regions, and the current condition of education infrastructure.

“This president is going to talk about issues very openly and unapologetically. West Bengal will witness that to begin with," a senior BJP leader told News18 on condition of anonymity.

EMPHASIS ON ‘DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT’

The leader added that Nabin has already twice, within two days, raised concerns over what he terms a “demographic shift" in West Bengal. That emphasis was evident during his brief address on Wednesday, when he met BJP national office bearers and state presidents for the first time after assuming charge. At least two leaders present at the meeting confirmed that Nabin made specific reference to West Bengal and demographic changes in the state.

The theme has also found resonance at the highest levels of the party. On Tuesday, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nabin in his speech echoed concerns around Bengal’s political and demographic trajectory. He said, “In the next few months, elections are about to be held in Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Puducherry, and the demographics of these states are being widely discussed. The changing demographics are altering the situation there, and this presents a challenge for us."

On Tuesday morning, even PM Modi, while speaking at the BJP headquarters, made a passing but pointed reference to the issue. He said: “Infiltration and demographic imbalance is a big worry of our times", while strongly advocating for sending infiltrators “back to where they have come from".

SHARPER IDEOLOGICAL EDGE

Those who have worked closely with Nabin say he is ideologically more deeply entrenched in the Sangh school of thought than his predecessor, JP Nadda. His elevation, they argue, signals a more assertive ideological pitch, particularly in states like West Bengal, where the BJP has repeatedly accused the TMC of shielding illegal infiltration which shifted the blame back to the Centre.

“In Bengal, where illegal infiltration is a serious issue, Nabin as BJP president may bring the focus squarely back on the TMC government, which has tried to deflect responsibility," a party functionary said.

STAGE SET FOR HIGH-VOLTAGE POLITICAL SEASON

Nabin’s visit is expected to be followed closely by another high-profile BJP tour. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is slated to visit West Bengal for two days between January 30 and 31, soon after the BJP president’s trip. The back-to-back visits by the party’s top leadership are being seen as the opening moves of a full-blown election campaign in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched state polls in the country.

With Bengal emerging as the stage for Nitin Nabin’s first political statement as national president, the message from the BJP leadership appears clear: the party intends to make West Bengal the central arena for its ideological, organisational, and electoral push in the months ahead.

News elections Bengal First For Nitin Nabin As BJP’s New Chief Zeroes In On Bardhaman-Durgapur For Maiden Rally

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