Work has begun on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s dream project ‘Durga Angan’, a massive religious and cultural complex rising opposite the Westin Hotel in New Town, across from Salt Lake’s Eco Park. The Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) is implementing the project at an estimated cost of ₹262 crore, with a completion target of September 2027.
Announced on Shaheed Diwas (July 21) and approved by the state cabinet in August, the project is billed as a tribute to Goddess Durga, the central deity of Bengal’s biggest annual festival. HIDCO has already started acquiring 12.6 acres of land for the site.
But beyond faith and culture, the initiative is generating political buzz.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) insiders admit the project carries electoral weight. “It is a political move to consolidate Hindu votes and counter BJP’s inroads,” said a senior party leader. For years, TMC has relied on the minority vote-bank, while the Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the government of minority appeasement. Political analysts suggest ‘Durga Angan’ is Mamata Banerjee’s direct response to BJP’s Hindutva politics and portray her party’s secular image.
The choice of location has added fuel to speculation. Situated in a premium zone of New Town, next to the Ramakrishna Mission campus and a luxury hotel, the project stands near the very spot where BJP’s national leaders — including Union Home Minister Amit Shah — stay during Kolkata visits. Symbolically, the ruling TMC has planted its flagship religious project in BJP’s shadow turf.
This year, Mamata Banerjee inaugurated Jagannath Dham in Digha, another HIDCO-managed religious complex. The New Town ‘Durga Angan’ is widely seen as a continuation of that trend. Though the Chief Minister insists on her philosophy of religious harmony, stating, “Just as we worship Maa Durga, we also celebrate Eid,” her recent focus on Hindu-centric projects has not gone unnoticed.
Recent administrative reshuffles add another layer. HIDCO, long chaired by Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, is now under Chandrima Bhattacharya and directly supervised by the Chief Minister’s office after being moved to the Administrative Reforms and Personnel Department. This shift has ensured that the project remains under tight political and administrative oversight from Nabanna, the state secretariat.
With the assembly elections due next year, observers say the timing is crucial. Mamata has already expressed confidence that TMC will secure more seats and flagship projects like ‘Durga Angan’ are expected to bolster public sentiment.
When critics argue the move is a strategic counter to BJP’s Hindu vote mobilization, TMC supporters frame it as an effort to create a permanent cultural landmark for Bengal. Either way, the project has become more than just a religious complex—it is shaping up to be a political weapon in Bengal’s high-stakes electoral battle.
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