PM arrives in Kolkata, to inaugurate key defence conference on Monday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kolkata on Sunday evening on a two-day visit, during which he will inaugurate the 16th Combined Commanders' Conference.

This is Modi's second visit to the state in less than a month. West Bengal is scheduled to go to the polls early next year.

At the airport, the PM was received by Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar and former BJP MP Locket Chatterjee.

From the airport, he went straight to the Raj Bhavan, where he will stay the night.

Governor CV Ananda Bose, state Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty and Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma received him at the Raj Bhavan.

Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had also arrived in the city to attend the conference, which is scheduled to begin on Monday.

NSA Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh will also attend the conference.

The PM will inaugurate the conference at the Eastern Command headquarters of the Indian Army at Vijay Durg, the erstwhile Fort William.

The Combined Commanders' Conference is the apex brainstorming forum of the armed forces, bringing together the nation's top civil and military leadership to exchange views at the conceptual and strategic levels.

Modi is expected to leave the city on Monday afternoon for Purnea in Bihar, officials said.

During his last visit to Kolkata on August 22, Modi unveiled multiple development projects and addressed a rally in Dumdum in the northern suburbs of the city.