Anticipation is running high in Singur, Hooghly district, as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee prepares to address a public rally there on Tuesday, just ahead of her departure for New Delhi.

Political observers believe the rally could serve as a platform for the Chief Minister to outline her position on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise being conducted in select states and Union Territories, including West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee is expected to leave for the national capital shortly after the event to hold discussions with opposition leaders on the issue, adding to speculation that she may use the Singur stage to set the tone for those talks.

The choice of Singur as the venue has also drawn attention due to its symbolic political significance. The location is close to where Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally earlier this month. While expectations were high that Modi would revisit the controversial withdrawal of the Tata Motors Nano project from Singur or announce fresh industrial plans, his speech avoided both topics entirely.

This has now shifted focus to whether Mamata Banerjee will address the long-standing debate around industrial development in the area and outline future investment prospects during her speech.

Singur remains a landmark in West Bengal’s political history due to the intense protests against land acquisition for the Nano factory in the mid-2000s, led by Mamata Banerjee when the Trinamool Congress was in opposition. The movement ultimately resulted in Tata Motors relocating the project to Sanand in Gujarat in 2008.

The episode continues to evoke strong reactions, particularly because Gujarat was then governed by Narendra Modi as Chief Minister, and the Nano project went on to become a flagship example of industrial relocation.

Meanwhile, a separate controversy has emerged over logistical arrangements for the rally. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has reportedly deployed five water-sprinkling vehicles to Singur to reduce dust at the venue. The move, approved by Kolkata Mayor and State Minister Firhad Hakim, has triggered criticism from opposition parties, who have questioned the use of civic resources outside city limits.

As the rally approaches, all eyes remain on the Chief Minister’s speech, which is expected to carry both political and symbolic weight.