Summary of this article
PM Modi said voters are casting their vote in West Bengal this time in a "fearless atmosphere", which was unimaginable in the past six or seven decades.
He also asserted that the assembly poll results on May 4 will further strengthen the resolve of a developed India.
Addressing a gathering after the inauguration of the Ganga Expressway here, Modi said today marks an important day in the festival of democracy.
Speaking from the sun-drenched plains of Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast his gaze eastward this Wednesday, framing the ongoing West Bengal elections not just as a political contest, but as a historic psychological shift. As he inaugurated the 594-km Ganga Expressway in Hardoi, the Prime Minister suggested that the most significant victory in Bengal has already been won: the reclamation of the ballot box from the shadow of fear.
For decades, the story of Bengal’s elections has often been written in the language of intimidation. Yet, according to Modi, the images currently flooding social media—of long, patient queues stretching under the April sun—tell a different tale. "What we are witnessing today was difficult to imagine for six or seven decades," he told the gathering, describing an "unprecedented" environment where the common voter feels empowered to stand their ground. To the Prime Minister, these queues are more than just a turnout statistic; they are a "powerful symbol" of a Constitution finally breathing freely in every corner of the state.
The timing of his address was as strategic as it was celebratory. With the second and final phase of polling underway across 142 constituencies, Modi’s rhetoric sought to bridge the gap between his immediate audience in UP and the millions of voters in Bengal's electoral core. He expressed a deep, personal gratitude to the "great people of Bengal," humanizing the democratic process by acknowledging the individual courage it takes to step out and vote in a landscape historically scarred by political friction.
Looking ahead to the May 4 counting day, the Prime Minister’s confidence was buoyed by recent momentum. He drew a direct line from the "historic and decisive" victory in Bihar to the BJP’s sweeping success in Gujarat’s local body polls just a day prior—where the party secured nearly 85 percent of the seats. For Modi, these aren't just isolated wins; they are a collective "infusion of energy" for his vision of a developed India. As Bengal finishes its marathon election, the message from Hardoi was clear: the resolve of the voter is the new engine of the country's development.
