Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently addressed a rally in Singur, West Bengal, on January 18, 2026, bringing the historically significant Singur land acquisition controversy back into the forefront of political discourse. During his address, PM Modi passionately appealed for 'real change,' or 'asol poriborton,' in West Bengal, directly challenging the legacy of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC). This appeal was framed against Mamata Banerjee's iconic 'poriborton' (change or transformation) slogan, which spearheaded the TMC's victory in 2011, ending the 34-year rule of the Left Front government. The Singur agitation, which took place in 2006-2008, was a pivotal moment in West Bengal politics. It involved widespread protests led by Mamata Banerjee against the then-Left Front government's acquisition of nearly 1,000 acres of fertile multi-crop farmland for Tata Motors' Nano car manufacturing plant. The intense agitation eventually led Ratan Tata to announce the relocation of the Nano project from Singur in October 2008, with the plant subsequently moving to Sanand, Gujarat. The skeletal remains of the abandoned factory in Singur serve as a stark reminder of the unfulfilled industrial project. In 2016, the Supreme Court of India declared the land acquisition illegal and ordered the West Bengal government to return the land to the original landowners. At the recent rally, PM Modi criticized the TMC government, describing its rule as 'maha jungle raj' and highlighting issues like alleged obstruction of central welfare schemes, law and order concerns, and the need to restore investor confidence. The Hindustan Times article accurately reports on PM Modi's strategic move to use Singur, a site deeply etched in Bengal's political memory, to counter the TMC's narrative and appeal for a decisive political shift in the upcoming assembly elections. Other credible news outlets like India Today and The Economic Times also corroborated PM Modi's rally and his statements regarding 'real change' and the 'maha jungle raj' accusation against the TMC.