Modi escalates Bengal push, slams TMC over Ayushman Bharat
Modi escalates Bengal push, slams TMC over Ayushman Bharat
PM Modi rallies in Malda, accusing Mamata Banerjee's government of blocking central schemes and promising a 'real change' for West Bengal ahead of elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an all-out attack on Mamata Banerjee's government during a rally in Malda, accusing the state administration of keeping people away from the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme. He called the TMC 'heartless' and 'cruel,' alleging public funds are being looted and central aid blocked from reaching Bengal’s people.
With assembly elections due in the first half of this year, the BJP is aiming to wrest power from the Trinamool Congress, which has ruled since 2011. Modi noted that sloganeering is a familiar feature in Bengal politics, recalling the TMC's 'khela hobey' and BJP's 'Didi O Didi' chants, and framed messaging as crucial to the contest.
He also cited recent electoral results in other states as evidence of BJP momentum, pointing to a 'historic victory' in Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the party's first mayor in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating gains beyond traditional strongholds.
In his Malda rally, Modi framed the contest as 'Asli Poriborton'—real change—and urged Bengal to back a development-focused path toward a 'developed India by 2047.' He argued that the Modi-led government's track record in Bihar, Odisha, and Assam demonstrates that the BJP can deliver across diverse states.
The rally signals the BJP's plan to mobilize voters on development, welfare access, and national unity, as the election cycle continues. Analysts say the message is to position BJP as a change-agent, and that the opposition will have to respond with their own development agenda, while supporters say the crowd's energy reflects a mood for change in parts of the state.
