Haldia, 09 April (H.S.):

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime during a high-energy public rally in Haldia on Thursday, predicting a resounding defeat for the ruling party in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections.

Addressing thousands of supporters amid chants of Jai Shri Ram, PM Modi declared that Bengal's residents are united in their resolve to dismantle TMC's ruthless governance, drawing parallels to Banerjee's shock loss in Nandigram during the 2021 polls.

This time, Bengal has resolved to overcome every adverse circumstance, PM Modi asserted, his voice booming over the crowd. BJP's victory can be seen in this enthusiasm. What happened five years ago in Nandigram is going to happen again this year in Bhabanipur and across the entire West Bengal.

He zeroed in on Banerjee's traditional bastion of Bhabanipur in Kolkata, foretelling its fall as a harbinger of statewide change, much like her narrow defeat in Nandigram where she conceded to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari by a razor-thin margin of 1,956 votes.

PM Modi framed the polls not as routine electoral battles but as a pivotal crusade to restore Bengal's faded glory. This election in Bengal is not a normal election. It is an election to re-establish the glory of Bengal, to strengthen the foundation of a developed Bengal, he emphasized.

Its first and most significant step will be the ousting of this ruthless government. He contrasted India's global ascent—boasting the world's fastest growth rate—with TMC's alleged sabotage of the state's progress. India is making rapid progress today... While numerous states across the country have embarked on the path of progress, the TMC's ruthless government is dragging Bengal down, PM Modi charged, highlighting stalled infrastructure and economic stagnation under TMC rule since 2011.

Escalating his critique, the Prime Minister accused the TMC of fostering illegal infiltration at the expense of local youth. Once, people from across the country used to come to Haldia for work. Today, the youth from this very place are migrating to the Andamans and Odisha; they are heading towards other states in search of employment, he lamented, painting a picture of reversed fortunes in the industrial hub known for its petrochemical plants and ports.

Under the TMC government, the only thing that has truly flourished is a factory for infiltrators. TMC is for manufacturing fake documents and engaging in cattle smuggling. The politics of TMC is based on fear, PM Modi thundered, tapping into long-standing BJP allegations of demographic shifts due to unchecked border crossings from Bangladesh—a claim echoed in National Register of Citizens (NRC) debates.

To counter TMC's narrative, p

PM Modi unveiled six key guarantees for a BJP-led Bengal, though specifics in his speech centered on development, security, and youth empowerment. These build on BJP's national pledges like Modi ki Guarantee, promising accelerated infrastructure, zero tolerance for corruption, and job creation to stem migration.

As West Bengal gears up for elections expected by early 2026, Modi's Haldia sortie signals BJP's intent to challenge TMC's dominance, with polls suggesting a tight contest in at least 100 seats.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar