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Prime Minister Narendra Modi escalated his criticism of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) across four campaign stops in West Bengal, accusing the ruling party of blocking a long‑promised women’s reservation amendment and urging voters to punish what he called a failing local administration ahead of the April 23 voting phase. His remarks combined policy pledges with sharp political attacks, underscoring how the women’s reservation issue has become a central theme in this phase of the assembly campaign.
Speaking in Barjora (Bankura), Purulia, Jhargram and Midnapore within a six‑hour window, Modi told crowds that the TMC — and, he said, Congress in collusion — had thwarted efforts to implement a law guaranteeing reserving one‑third of legislative seats for women from 2029. He argued that bringing more women into state legislatures would help hold parties accountable for local governance failures.
At one stop in Jhargram the prime minister paused at a roadside snack stall — a moment that drew attention on social media as the BJP sought to reinforce personal voter contact in the run‑up to polling.
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Promises and policy claims
Modi used the rallies to outline a set of welfare commitments aimed at women and families, tying electoral appeals to concrete benefits. He described these as part of a broader push to expand healthcare and direct support through government schemes.
- Direct maternity support: promised payments of Rs 21,000 during pregnancy and Rs 5,000 post‑delivery;
- Annual support: an asserted proposal for Rs 36,000 per year for women (as stated by the prime minister);
- Health measures: free cervical cancer vaccination and subsidised medicines through Jan Aushadhi outlets;
- Hospital care: free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh and dialysis services in government hospitals, according to his speech.
These pledges were presented as complementary to the proposed reservation measure: Modi framed them as steps that would empower women both economically and politically.
Political accusations and social concerns
Beyond welfare promises, the prime minister levelled a series of constitutional and identity warnings about the TMC’s agenda. He claimed the party was pursuing preferential quotas on religious lines and warned of demographic and cultural change that, he said, risked altering Bengal’s social fabric.
Modi also targeted the ruling party on tribal outreach, alleging that tribal districts had been neglected and that land issues were being manipulated by local syndicates. He accused the TMC of opposing a tribal woman’s elevation at the national level — an argument intended to cast the party as indifferent to tribal representation.
The TMC has strongly rejected similar charges in the past; in these rallies, the prime minister’s assertions echoed long‑running BJP criticisms and were aimed at reshaping voter priorities ahead of the next polling phase.
Reporting from Kolkata: Rohit Khanna
