'First-phase voting signaled end of TMC's maha jungle raj': Modi
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a warning to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal on Friday, saying their "goons" will have no place to hide after election results. Speaking in Dum Dum, PM Modi claimed that the record voter turnout in the first phase of polling signaled an end to what he called TMC's "maha jungle raj." He said files related to injustices committed by TMC would be opened once a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is formed.
Modi
'TMC was empowering their goons all night long'
Attacking the TMC over violence reported on Thursday, PM Modi said, "Last night, TMC was empowering their goons all night long. I say to the people of Bengal, BJP workers, and the public: Do not forget that this is the land of revolution, this is the land of the brave... After the results come on May 4, the TMC's goons will find no place to hide." "Yesterday's first-phase voting has sounded the death knell for TMC's reign of jungle rule."
Election turnout
Record voter turnout in Bengal
The first phase of West Bengal's Assembly elections saw a record 92.89% voter turnout, the highest since Independence. This phase covered 152 constituencies across 16 districts. PM Modi called this a victory for democracy and a sign of public faith in the electoral process. He claimed such high participation indicated a growing desire for change among voters, leaving TMC worried. "The polling in the first phase...has confirmed the wave of change which we have been seeing in Bengal," he said.
Welfare promise
Modi promises middle-class welfare if BJP comes to power
If the BJP comes to power in West Bengal, PM Modi promised to prioritize middle-class welfare. He cited steps taken by the central government, such as making income up to ₹12 lakh tax-free. "Before 2014, when the government in Delhi was run with the support of TMC, the central government used to impose tax on annual income up to ₹2 lakh," he said. He also slammed TMC over women's safety issues in Bengal and called it an "anti-women" party.
Safety concerns
PM's assurance on women's safety issues
PM Modi slammed the TMC government over women's safety issues, referring to a brutal rape-murder incident at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College in August 2024. "BJP also gave an opportunity to the Sandeshkhali victims to lead. When the daughters of Bengal seek justice, TMC tells them not to step out of their homes to avoid rape...Today, I assure every daughter of Bengal that the BJP will not allow anyone to trample the dreams of daughters of Bengal," he said.