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Agartala, Tripura
Kolkata/IBNS: The high-voltage campaign for the West Bengal Assembly elections took a softer turn on Friday morning as Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoyed a boat ride on the Hooghly river.
A day after the first phase of polling recorded a strong voter turnout, Modi spent time along the river, tried his hand at photography, and interacted with locals in a low-key mass outreach effort.
Sharing glimpses from his morning outing, he wrote on X, “The Ganga holds an extremely special place in the heart of every Bengali. It can be said that the Ganga flows right through the soul of Bengal.”
“The sacred waters of the Ganga carry forward the eternal consciousness of the entire civilization. This morning in Kolkata, I spent some time by the banks of the Hooghly River—as an opportunity to express my gratitude to Ma Ganga.”
Praising the “tireless hard work” of boatmen, the Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to the development of West Bengal, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is aiming for its maiden term.
On Thursday evening, Modi held a massive roadshow in Howrah, drawing large crowds as the BJP intensified its bid to unseat the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has been in power for 15 years.
Addressing a rally in Mathurapur in South 24 Parganas, Modi said the high voter turnout indicates that people have overcome the “fear” of the ruling TMC.
“The way women and youth have come out to vote against the TMC has been witnessed across polling,” he said.
“The high turnout clearly shows that fear is being defeated and ‘bharosa’ is set to win.”
Expressing confidence ahead of counting, Modi said, “In 10 days, when counting takes place, I believe the BJP will emerge victorious across the state.”
“I urge the people of Bengal, especially first-time voters, to uproot this ‘nirmam sarkar’. This is the time—the right time,” he added.
Mathurapur is scheduled to go to polls in the second phase on April 29.
A total of 152 out of 294 constituencies across 16 districts went to polls in the first phase on Thursday, as the intense electoral battle in the state moves forward.
(Photos: Narendra Modi/X)
