"Joy Maa Kali": PM Modi's Big Voter Outreach Before Bengal Election

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'joy maa Kali' letter in Bengali - being distributed door-to-door - was a big political talking point Monday ahead of the April/May election in West Bengal.

A Hindi language version was also shared online.

In his letter the Prime Minister blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress for the state's "under-development" and alleged the people of 'shonar Bangla', or 'golden Bengal' had been "cheated".

The PM underlined the Bharatiya Janata Party's contentious 'ghuspaithiya' allegation, i.e., the BJP's repeated allegation that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's government looks the other way when foreign nationals, mostly from Bangladesh, cross over illegally in exchange for votes.

He referred to the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and said the BJP, if elected to power in Bengal, would ensure citizenship to all non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, who claim to be fleeing those countries on grounds of religious persecution.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a letter in Bengali and Hindi urging voters to support the BJP's "Ebar BJP Sarkar" slogan. He highlighted concerns over illegal immigration, violence against women, and pledged to develop and make Bengal prosperous and safe. pic.twitter.com/V9IXnimtGk

— IANS (@ians_india) February 23, 2026

The letter has been seen as politically significant because it is a direct appeal to the public before the election, and will certainly intensify fierce Trinamool vs BJP competition in the state.

The PM began with praise for the goddess Kali and highlighted Bengal's historical record of having been the home state of many great personalities. Giving examples like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, he said Bengal needed a "new direction".

He claimed his administration had, over the past 11 years, tried to prioritise the overall development of the state, including launching schemes for farmers, young people, women, and the poorer sections of society. But the Bengal government had not cooperated, he alleged.

Nevertheless, the benefits of these schemes, funded by the federal government, had reached millions of people in Bengal, the Prime Minister said, giving examples like Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, and Ayushman Bharat, the centre's flagship universal healthcare scheme.

The PM said he had resolved to make Bengal a prosperous state.

"Bengal has been tainted by illegal infiltration and violence against women. This state has been caught in narrow, vote bank politics, violence, and anarchy. Fake voters are gaining dominance. We must free ourselves from illegal infiltration and adopt good governance," the PM wrote.

Neither Mamata Banerjee nor the Trinamool have responded so far.

The BJP and Trinamool are widely expected to go head-to-head in this election, as they have in the past three, which includes two federal polls. Mamata Banerjee has frustrated the BJP's attempts to take control of the state each time, becoming a significant political thorn in its side.