Modi Rallies in West Bengal to Boost BJP Election Bid

Prime Minister Narendra Modi intensified the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign in West Bengal on April 9, addressing rallies in Haldia, Asansol, and Suri to rally support ahead of the state assembly elections scheduled for April 23 and 29, with results expected on May 4.

In Haldia, an industrial hub in Purba Medinipur district and a stronghold of Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, Modi accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of pulling the state backward amid national progress. He outlined six guarantees for voters if the BJP forms the government, including replacing the TMC's alleged "reign of fear" with trust in governance, ensuring public servants' accountability to citizens, and reopening suppressed files on corruption and crimes against women. Modi pledged that corrupt leaders would face imprisonment and that government benefits would reach genuine citizens while barring infiltrators from staying in the country. He also promised immediate implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission for state employees, teachers, and related sectors within 45 days of taking power.

Modi highlighted the state's economic decline, noting that West Bengal's contribution to...