Assembly Election 2026 Highlights: PM is Bengal's 'biggest tourism ambassador', says Abhishek Banerjee

Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Friday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he had inadvertently become the "biggest brand ambassador" for West Bengal tourism by showcasing the state's Ganga ghats, roads and street food during campaign visits.

Addressing election rallies in Jagatballavpur and Domjur assembly constituencies in Howrah district, Banerjee said Modi's public appearances, including eating jhalmuri on a pavement in Jhargram and walking along the Ganga, had done more to promote the state than official tourism campaigns.

"If Bengal had not been promoted this way – how beautiful the Ganga is, how developed the roads of Jhargram are – people of the country would not have known or understood. The biggest brand ambassador for tourism of Mamata Banerjee's Ma-Mati-Manush government is Narendra Modi," he said.

"The road he walked on was built by Mamata Banerjee's government, the footpath was laid by Jhargram municipality, and the boy selling muri has his home in Bihar, where Modi's own double-engine government rules. He has come to Bengal out of economic compulsion," Banerjee said in an apparent dig at the BJP's governance record in its alliance states.

(with inputs from PTI)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi could enjoy a boat ride on the Hooghly in the state because its waters were clean, unlike the Yamuna in Delhi, which she said was polluted.

Addressing an election meeting in Howrah, Banerjee said Modi would not be able to undertake a similar boat ride on the Yamuna in the national capital due to pollution, blaming the BJP-led administration there for the river's condition.

She said it was good that the prime minister chose to take a boat ride on the Hooghly River, where riverfront areas had been beautified by the state government and civic bodies, including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

(with inputs from PTI)

Amid a turmoil within AAP following the resignation of Raghav Chadha and six other Rajya Sabha MPs, party chief Arvind Kejriwal will campaign for the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal for the next two days.

Kejriwal is set to campaign for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ahead of the second phase of polling and is expected to reach Kolkata on Saturday morning.

(with inputs from Ashutosh Mishra)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday held a roadshow in her constituency, Bhabanipur, in Kolkata. She is set to face her protege and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adikhari of the BJP, in a repeat of the 2021 battle.

Home Minister Amit Shah held a roadshow in Jagatdal, North 24 Parganas ahead of the last phase of polling for West Bengal elections on April 29.

Addressing a rally for the West Bengal election, Home Minister Amit Shah said Kolkata had turned into a city of slums under successive Communist and Trinamool Congress governments. Is it a fact that Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, is a city of slums? Here's the fact. READ MORE HERE

In perhaps the sharpest attack against the Trinamool Congress over the RG Kar rape-murder case, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the victim's mother worked hard to make her a doctor, but "lost her" to "TMC's jungle raj". Addressing an election rally in Dum Dum along with the mother of the RG Kar victim, PM Modi stressed that the TMC failed to protect women and instead silenced their demands for justice. READ MORE HERE

West Bengal saw a 92.9% voter turnout, its highest ever, in Phase 1 of the Assembly election. What does the high turnout, which follows the SIR exercise, reveal about the ground situation? READ MORE HERE

Congress leader and candidate Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday said that the high voter turnout witnessed in the first phase of the ongoing Assembly elections in West Bengal partly resulted from "fear developed due to SIR (Special Intensive Revision)."

"Bengal witnessed huge participation in polling. The fear developed due to SIR also led to people casting their vote to protect their right," he was quoted as sayig by news agency ANI.

(With agency inputs)

Addressing a poll rally in the Jadavpur Assembly constituency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that the first phase of voting for the Assembly elections held in West Bengal on Thursday, April 23, has "confirmed" that the state's ruling TMC won't be able to open its account in many districts.

(With PTI inputs)

Addressing a poll rally in the Jadavpur Assembly constituency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lashed out at the ruling TMC of West Bengal, claiming that young people are forced to leave the state in search of jobs "due to infiltration" and the Mamata Banerjee-led party's "corruption."

(With PTI inputs)

Addressing a poll rally in the Jadavpur Assembly constituency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday invoked the famous "Tum mujhe khoon do..." quote by freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, saying West Bengal's "aashirwad" (blessings) to the BJP will result in freedom from TMC's "fear, corruption, syndicates, violence against women," etc.

Prime Minister Narendta Modi says that while the country wants enhanced representation of women in mainstream politics, the TMC is averse to the idea. He made the remarks while attacking the ruling party during an election rally in West Bengal's Jadavpur Assembly constituency. PM Modi criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led party over its role in the voting in the Parliament that defeated three inter-linked bills tied to the early implementation of women's quota in legislatures.

Addressing a poll rally in the Jadavpur Assembly constituency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday alleged that West Bengal's ruling TMC has only looted the state in the past 15 years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the BJP will prioritise the welfare of the middle class if the party forms the next government in West Bengal. "If a BJP government is formed in Bengal, the welfare of the middle class will be paramount for it. To make the life of the middle class easier, the central government has taken numerous decisions over the past 11 years. 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 Rs 2 lakh... We have made zero tax on annual income up to Rs 12 lakh," he was quoted as sayinb by news agency ANI while addressing a public meeting in the Dum Dum Assembly constituency of West Bengal.

(With agency inputs)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the BJP’s ideological roots are deeply linked to Bengal’s intellectual and cultural legacy. Addressing a rally, he paid tribute to Syama Prasad Mookerjee, saying his inspiration led to the formation of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and eventually the BJP.

Modi recalled Mookerjee’s stand that the Constitution should apply uniformly across the country, citing his slogan against “two constitutions, two flags, and two heads” in one nation. He added that the BJP government fulfilled this vision by abrogating Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, ensuring full implementation of the Indian Constitution in the region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that before 2014, during Congress-led governments, high taxes were imposed on almost everything. Addressing a rally, he claimed that the BJP government has since reduced or eliminated GST on most essential items used by the middle class. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that once a BJP government is formed after the May 4 results, “files related to every injustice and atrocity” will be opened. Addressing a rally, he reiterated his assurance, calling it “Modi’s guarantee,” and asserted that all cases of alleged wrongdoing would be taken up, signalling accountability and action under a new government in West Bengal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the Ayushman Bharat Yojana is not currently active in West Bengal and assured that it will be implemented in the very first Cabinet meeting if the BJP forms the government in the state. Addressing a rally, he said beneficiaries would receive free medical treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh under the scheme. PM also highlighted the BJP’s focus on direct benefit transfer (DBT), saying it ensures that money reaches people directly without any middlemen siphoning off funds.