Prime Minister Narendra Modi was forced to alter his scheduled public address at a high-profile rally in West Bengal’s Nadia district on Saturday after his helicopter was unable to land at the Taherpur helipad due to dense fog and low visibility.

The PM’s chopper hovered over the designated landing site for some time, but safety concerns prompted pilots to return to Kolkata Airport, where they had been waiting after the unsuccessful landing attempt.

With adverse weather making travel by air impossible and a long road journey to Taherpur deemed impractical, officials decided that the PM would address the rally virtually via video link.

In his virtual address to the large crowd gathered at Netaji Park, Ranaghat, the PM acknowledged the weather disruption but reiterated key messages on development and governance.

The event in Nadia was among the first major political rallies in the state following the release of draft electoral rolls and comes amid heightened political activity ahead of upcoming elections in West Bengal.

Authorities maintained robust security at the venue despite the change in plans, as supporters waved flags and chanted slogans in anticipation of the prime minister’s arrival earlier in the day.

The PM’s schedule also includes inaugurations and foundation-laying ceremonies for key national highway projects in the district later in the day, underscoring the government’s continued push on infrastructure development in the region.

His visit to West Bengal was primarily aimed at launching and reviewing key infrastructure projects, with a focus on national highways and road connectivity in the state.

PM Modi was scheduled to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for multiple National Highway projects worth over ₹3,000 crore, intended to improve connectivity between border districts, industrial clusters, and key urban centres in southern Bengal.

The visit also carried political significance, coming amid intensified BJP outreach in West Bengal ahead of upcoming electoral battles.

Addressing party supporters and the public in Nadia district, the PM was expected to underline the Centre’s development agenda for the state, while contrasting it with the Trinamool Congress government’s record on governance, infrastructure, and law and order.