Siliguri, Mar 9 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Darjeeling district later on Saturday and address a public rally at Kawakhali near here, where former Calcutta High Court Judge Abhijit Gangopadhaya would share political state for the first time, BJP sources said.
Gangopadhaya, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on March 7 here, barely two days after quitting the judicial service, took a flight from here to reach Bagdogra by this noon, sources said.
The PM, who is visiting neighbouring Assam now, is expected to address a rally at Kawakhali near here around 3 pm, where the former judge will be formally introduced to Modi, who is once again the face of the BJP's electoral battle for the 2024 Parliament.
Meanwhile, a report from Tamluk in East Medinipur said the wall writings had already appeared in favour of Gangopadhyay contesting with a lotus symbol for the Lok Sabha poll to be held in two months.
Festoons, cutouts, and slogans for the former judge appeared, and many BJP activists were seen campaigning for newcomers before the party's central committee approved the second list of candidates, sources added.
The BJP's central parliamentary committee already announced a list of 195 candidates, of which 20 belonged to West Bengal's party's nominees.
Meanwhile, Bhojpuri actor-singer Oawan Singh had already announced he would not be able to contest from Asansol seat in West Burdwan owing to personal reasons. West Bengal has 42 seats.
Modi, before addressing the BJP rally, is expected to lay the foundation stone for the Bagdogra airport expansion project and the elevation of the highways connecting Darling Hills and Sikkim State.
Sources said the PM will lay the foundation stone for the new terminal for Bagdogra Airport, which is being expanded at a cost of over Rs 3000 crore.
The PM is scheduled to perform bhumi pujan for the construction of a new terminal for Bagdogra Airport.
The Civil Aviation Ministry and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will start the construction of the new terminal and allied infrastructure at the airport.
The Union government has provisionally earmarked Rs 3,000 crore for the project. The tender process for Rs 1,000 crore was completed.

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