New Delhi: Having tasted electoral success in several states which seemed to be beyond reach some years ago, the BJP, however, has continued to draw a blank in West Bengal.
The Trinamool Congress has been in power since 2011, when the Mamata Banerjee-helmed party dethroned the CPI(M)-led Left Front government after a 34-year reign.
With the 2026 Assembly election knocking on the doors, the saffron party is desperate to stamp its presence in a state where it has made inroads over the years but never come close to conquering it.
Leading the campaign is the party’s most popular face, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He has been addressing election rallies in the state, along with the party’s other senior leaders.
On Monday, Modi wrote an open letter to the people of West Bengal, stating that he was “heartbroken” seeing the present condition of the state, and sought their support in reviving ‘Sonar Bangla’ (golden Bengal).
“The future of our Sonar Bangla depends on your firm decision. I urge you to vote for the BJP in the interest of West Bengal’s development,” Modi said in the letter written in Bengali.
Greeting the people of West Bengal, Modi began the letter with ‘Joy Maa Kali’, Modi wrote: “In just a few months, the fate of West Bengal will be decided. The future of the coming generation and the direction it takes will depend on your well-thought-out decision. Today, every young person, elder, and woman who dreams of my Sonar Bangla is in great pain. Their suffering pains my heart. Therefore, I have made a resolution from the depths of my heart — a resolution to make West Bengal ‘Viksit’ (developed) and prosperous.”
The letter, which will be distributed among voters, said that over the last 11 years, with the blessings of the people of the country, the NDA government has given top priority to public welfare and overall development. “From the welfare of farmers to fulfilling the dreams of youth, and from empowering women to reaching every section of society, the positive results of our policies and continuous efforts are clearly visible today,” Modi wrote.
He stated despite “extreme non-cooperation” and “opposition” from Mamata’s government, nearly 5 crore people of West Bengal have been connected to the banking system through the ‘Jan Dhan Yojana’.
“Under the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’, 85 lakh toilets have been constructed in the state. While the ruling party of the state is snatching away the livelihood of the poor, we have extended a helping hand by providing loans worth Rs 2.82 lakh crore to small traders and entrepreneurs. I have had the privilege of making 56 lakh senior citizens self-reliant in their old age under the ‘Atal Pension Yojana’. I feel blessed to have freed mothers and sisters from smoke by providing LPG connections to over 1 crore families through the ‘Ujjwala Yojana’.”
He remarked that West Bengal’s farmers are struggling to feed their families even though they feed the entire nation. “In such difficult circumstances, I feel fortunate to have brought smiles to the faces of over 52 lakh farmers by providing them with direct financial assistance through the ‘Kisan Samman Nidhi’.”
He said he was pained to see the condition of the state, especially after the post-independence boom.
“West Bengal used to determine the direction of the country’s economy and was a leader in industrial development. But today, my heart is pained to see the dilapidated condition of this glorious state. The irreparable damage caused to West Bengal due to six decades of misrule and appeasement politics cannot be expressed in words. On one hand, youths are forced to migrate to other states due to lack of employment, and on the other hand, my mothers and sisters in West Bengal do not feel safe today. The Bengal that Swami Vivekananda and Rishi Aurobindo dreamed of is today shackled by narrow vote-bank politics, violence, and anarchy, which is extremely painful for it.”
He lamented that a land from where “son of the soil” Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose led the freedom struggle is now “stained with illegal infiltration and violence against women”.
“The Bengali pride of Thakur Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Sonar Bangla’ is at stake. Based on the trust of the people of the country, West Bengal’s pride will return. The country is safe today. But for how long will you endure all this with a smile? Now, change is inevitable,” the PM wrote.
Urging people in West Bengal to join the journey of development, Modi said: “If I get the opportunity to serve you, every moment of my service will be dedicated to bringing a smile to your face and spreading happiness, and to freeing you from corruption and misrule. The safety of mothers and sisters will be ensured. Our children will not have to go to other states in search of employment. Bengal’s culture will regain its lost glory. Our refugee brothers and sisters, who are victims of religious violence, will get citizenship through CAA, and my West Bengal will move forward on the path of respect, free from illegal infiltration.”
“The call of the sacrifices and penances of Bharat Mata’s brave sons has always been there. Today, West Bengal is an integral part of India. Let us rebuild the West Bengal of their dreams and take a pledge to make it ‘Viksit West Bengal’ by 2026,” Modi concluded.
