West Bengal election: Narendra Modi to launch BJP campaign with Cooch Behar rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to visit Cooch Behar to launch the Bharatiya Janata Party campaign for the West Bengal Assembly elections at the Ras Mela grounds. He is expected to set out the party’s plan for the state and highlight claims in its “People’s Chargesheet”, focusing on governance, law and order, and alleged corruption.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was set to travel to Cooch Behar district on Sunday to begin the BJP’s West Bengal assembly election campaign, a senior party leader said. Modi was scheduled to speak at the BJP’s Bijoy Sankalpa Sabha at the Ras Mela grounds in the afternoon. The event was to signal a stronger push in north Bengal.

The BJP leader said the speech was likely to shape the party’s main message for the election. The leader said it would stress a fear-free atmosphere and rebuilding confidence in public institutions. The rally was also expected to focus on governance, law and order, and alleged corruption. It was to refer to issues listed in the BJP’s People’s Chargesheet.

West Bengal assembly elections and BJP campaign timeline

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held in two phases, on April 23 and April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4. Another party leader said the April 5 rally would be followed by more public meetings. The plan also included roadshows and organisational programmes by senior BJP leaders.

This was to be Modi’s first election rally in the state after the assembly polls were announced. It was also Modi’s fourth public meeting at the Ras Mela grounds. Modi previously held rallies there during the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Modi also addressed a meeting at the same venue during the 2021 assembly polls.

West Bengal campaign themes: governance, law and order, corruption

A party leader said Modi was expected to present the BJP’s plan for a developed West Bengal. The address was also expected to underline the party’s criticism of the ruling TMC. It was expected to link those points to daily issues in the state. The party aimed to sharpen its outreach in a politically important region.

"The Prime Ministers visit is centred on transitioning West Bengal from an era of systemic bhoy fear to a future of bhorosa trust. This rally serves as a definitive launchpad to replace the chronicle of betrayal with a commitment to security and growth, a BJP statement said.\"

\"While dismantling the rule of fear will be articulated in the PMs vision for a fear-free state, the pledge for trust will be reinforced in Modis guarantee to end syndicate raj and cut-money culture, it said.\"

\"Beyond political victory, the Bijoy Sankalpa Sabha seeks to restore the cultural glory of Kaviguru Rabindranath Tagores West Bengal, pledging an end to state-sponsored lawlessness, the statement said.\"

North Bengal focus: West Bengal seats and recent results

The BJP’s focus on north Bengal had helped in the 2021 assembly elections. The party won 30 of the 54 seats in the region then. Cooch Behar added seven of the district’s nine seats. The TMC later won the Dinhata segment in a bypoll. This happened after BJP’s Nisith Pramanik moved to Delhi.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP lost the Cooch Behar Lok Sabha segment. Still, the party won six of north Bengal’s eight Parliamentary seats that year. Observers linked the renewed focus on Cooch Behar to development messaging. They cited the Rs 1,010-crore city gas distribution project. It covered Cooch Behar and nearby Alipurduar.

Modi last visited West Bengal on March 14 for a rally at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. During that visit, Modi also inaugurated development projects worth around Rs 18,680 crore. The visit marked the end of the party’s Poriborton Yatra. The Cooch Behar programme was expected to continue that outreach. It was also meant to set direction for the campaign run-up.

With inputs from PTI