Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Trinamool Congress of “betraying” women by preventing the passage of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 in Parliament, and asserted that the women would punish the ruling party in West Bengal in the upcoming assembly polls.
Addressing an election rally at Bishnupur in Bankura district, Modi attacked the Mamata Banerjee-led party over its opposition to the bill, which sought to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies before 2029, and attempted to flip what was widely seen as a setback for the BJP into an emotive campaign issue in West Bengal, where women voters and beneficiaries of welfare schemes have emerged as the single most decisive electoral constituency.
Seeking to place the TMC on the defensive, Modi alleged that the ruling party betrayed the women because they are challenging TMC’s ‘mahajungleraj’ in West Bengal.
“The TMC does not want women empowerment and reservation. It does not want women from West Bengal to become MPs and MLAs in large numbers because women of the state are challenging its ‘mahajungleraj’. That is why they conspired with Congress and opposed the bill. The women of West Bengal will punish TMC in this election,” he said.
The bill failed to clear the Lok Sabha on Friday after falling short of the required two-thirds majority. Although 298 MPs voted in favour and 230 against it, the legislation required 352 votes for passage.
Modi sought to draw a sharp contrast between what he called the BJP’s politics of women’s empowerment and the TMC’s “betrayal” of West Bengal’s women.
“The BJP’s identity is tied to women’s empowerment and their safety. We want the role of daughters to expand in building a developed India and more and more daughters to enter politics. But you saw what happened in Parliament. The TMC has betrayed the sisters of West Bengal once again,” he said.
In West Bengal’s increasingly polarised campaign, where the BJP is attempting to prise away a section of the TMC’s formidable women vote, the failed bill has suddenly given the saffron party a new line of attack.
Using the issue to widen his attack, Modi accused the TMC of appeasing infiltrators while denying women their due.
“This is the same TMC which breaks every law and every rule to benefit infiltrators, but opposes women’s empowerment. It is also the same party that is actively promoting religion-based reservations. In doing so, it is undermining the spirit of the Constitution,” he said.
Modi also sought to pitch the BJP as the party of tribal empowerment in the Junglemahal region, accusing the TMC and the Congress of insulting President Droupadi Murmu.
“The anti-tribal TMC insulted President Droupadi Murmu. Both the TMC and the Congress are anti-tribal. That is why they fielded a candidate against her in the presidential election,” he said.
“The TMC hates tribal daughters and sisters. The BJP gave the country its first tribal President because we are committed to empowering tribal communities,” he added.
Modi alleged that the TMC ignored the Kurmi community’s grievances while selectively offering benefits to its “vote bank”.
“The TMC does not listen to the grievances of the Kurmi community, but wants to give reservation to its vote bank,” he said.
In an attempt to counter the TMC’s welfare pitch, Modi announced a series of promises for women if the BJP came to power in the state.
“When the BJP government is formed in West Bengal, the poor will receive free ration. No one will be able to snatch your ration,” he said.
He said women would receive assistance of up to Rs 1.5 lakh under the PM Awas Yojana to build permanent houses, and accused the state government of depriving them of the benefits of central schemes.
“Due to the corruption of the TMC government, women of West Bengal do not get the benefits that women get in BJP-ruled states. The cruel government has stopped the Ayushman Bharat scheme here. As soon as the BJP government is formed in West Bengal, women will get free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh,” he said.
Modi said pregnant women would receive Rs 21,000 in assistance, women would be given Rs 5,000 on the birth of a child, and girl children would get Rs 50,000 for education.
With the BJP trying to portray the election as a battle between “fear” and “trust”, Modi said the crowds at his rally reflected public anger against the ruling party.
“This enthusiasm is a reflection of the people’s anger against the TMC’s ‘nirmam sarkar’ (cruel government),” he said.
He said the changing mood of West Bengal was visible in the statements and reactions of TMC leaders.
Modi claimed that those who had terrorised West Bengal were now themselves frightened.
“Those who used to terrify the people of West Bengal until now are themselves terrified by the roar of the Bengal tiger. This Bengal tiger is the people of the state,” he said.
He also attacked TMC-backed syndicates and local musclemen, saying, “I am giving one last chance to all TMC goons, syndicates. Surrender at your nearest police station before April 23 and 29. After May 4, no one will be spared,” he said.
Elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, and votes will be counted on May 4.
