Haldia (West Bengal), April 9 Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Thursday, after a two-hour delay due to inclement weather, to address his first of three election rallies in West Bengal.
Several parts of southern Bengal, including Kolkata, have been experiencing rain since morning. The showers had left the helipad in Haldia filled with mud, adding to the delay in Modi's arrival.
The meteorological department predicted that the weather is expected to improve later in the day.
According to senior state BJP leaders, the delay is likely to have a cascading effect on the schedule of the prime minister's other two rallies in Asansol and Suri.
Haldia remains the stronghold of the state's Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, and is also one of the strongest bases of the BJP in the Purba Medinipur district.
The Haldia rally is significant because the party seeks to maintain its control over the region, highlighting Adhikari's influence in the area, which is one of the key centres of the party's challenge to the TMC.
After the election rally in Haldia, the prime minister is scheduled to address election gatherings in Asansol, in the Paschim Bardhaman district, and in Suri, in Birbhum district.