Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over allegations of corruption, issuing what he described as a “last chance” to “goons and syndicates” ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
Addressing a BJP rally in Bishnupur, Modi said, “I am giving one last chance to all TMC goons, syndicates, and corrupt elements. Surrender at your nearest police station before April 29. No one will be spared after May 4. The mafia of Bishnupur and TMC’s syndicate, listen carefully, this will no longer be tolerated.”
The Prime Minister also outlined promises targeted at women voters in the state. He said women would receive free rations and Rs 36,000 annually through the proposed ‘Maatri Shakti Bharosa Card’ if the BJP forms the government in West Bengal.
“The safety of sisters and your prosperity are the priorities of the BJP. Even now, due to the corruption of the TMC government, the women of Bengal do not receive the benefits they receive under the BJP government in neighbouring states of Assam, Tripura, Odisha and Bihar. If the BJP government is formed in Bengal, poor women will receive free rations, and no one will be able to steal their rations,” Modi said.
He added that a BJP government would provide assistance of up to Rs 1.5 lakh to women under PM Awas Yojana for building permanent homes. Referring to the proposed welfare scheme, he said, “There’s a lot of buzz right now about the ‘Maatri Shakti Bharosa Card.’ Every sister in Bengal is very happy about it; through this, every sister in Bengal will receive Rs 36,000 every year.”
Women constitute a significant voter base for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s TMC, with both the BJP and TMC focusing on appealing to women voters ahead of the polls.
The TMC has announced its own welfare scheme, Lakshmi Bhandar, under which women in the general category receive Rs 1,500 per month, while SC/ST women receive Rs 1,700. The party has also promised Rs 1,500 monthly assistance for unemployed youth.
The West Bengal Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting of votes set for May 4. Mamata Banerjee is seeking a fourth consecutive term, while the BJP, which won 77 seats in the previous election, is making a renewed push to form the government in the state.
