At a massive rally in Kolkata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Trinamool Congress of protecting illegal infiltrators and manipulating voter rolls, intensifying the political battle ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
Kolkata : At a major political rally in Kolkata on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack on the ruling All India Trinamool Congress, accusing the party of protecting illegal infiltrators and opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to safeguard its alleged vote bank.
Addressing thousands of supporters at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground, Modi claimed that unchecked illegal immigration under the TMC government had altered the demographic balance in several parts of West Bengal. He alleged that the ruling party deliberately encouraged infiltration for political gains.
The Prime Minister argued that the TMC was resisting the voter list revision exercise because it would expose and remove the names of illegal voters. According to him, the party was not even willing to remove the names of deceased voters from the rolls, fearing that a cleaned-up voter list would weaken its electoral prospects.
Official figures from the revision exercise show that around 6.366 million names—roughly 8.3 percent of the electorate—have been deleted since the process began in November last year. As a result, the state’s total number of voters has dropped from about 76.6 million to slightly over 70.4 million. Additionally, more than 6 million voters have been placed in the “under adjudication” category, meaning their eligibility will be decided through legal scrutiny in the coming weeks.
Modi also accused the TMC government of changing the demographic composition of certain areas by allowing illegal infiltration. He alleged that in some places Bengali Hindus were being pushed into a minority position due to these demographic shifts.
Another major issue raised by the Prime Minister was the citizenship of Hindu refugees who had fled religious persecution in neighbouring countries. He claimed that the TMC opposed granting citizenship to such refugees because they were not part of its political support base.
Escalating his criticism, Modi alleged that the state government functioned with the backing of criminal elements and that extortion and “cut money” had become key sources of income for those in power. According to him, infiltrators were being used to strengthen such networks, creating threats to the security, economy and social fabric of the state.
The Prime Minister also criticised the ruling party for attacking constitutional institutions, particularly the Election Commission, over the voter roll revision exercise. He described such criticism as an attempt to undermine democratic processes.
Sending a strong political signal ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, Modi declared that the days of the ruling party were numbered. He said the countdown had begun for the government led by Mamata Banerjee and promised that a government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party would bring governance based on accountability and development.
Warning those allegedly involved in political intimidation and violence, the Prime Minister said strict legal action would be taken against them if the BJP came to power. According to him, criminals, infiltrators and those engaging in appeasement politics would face the full force of the law.
He also alleged that a climate of fear had been created in the state, claiming that voters, opposition parties and even the media were being intimidated. According to Modi, people were sometimes threatened with losing government benefits if they did not support the ruling party.
Framing the upcoming election as a decisive moment for the state, the Prime Minister urged voters to bring about political change. He said the election was not just about replacing a government but about restoring what he described as the spirit of Bengal and ending fear-driven politics.
Saturday’s rally was Modi’s first major visit to West Bengal since the publication of the revised electoral rolls on February 28, an issue that has already triggered intense political debate in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly elections.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the gathering during a rally at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on March 14, 2026. |
Kolkata : At a major political rally in Kolkata on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack on the ruling All India Trinamool Congress, accusing the party of protecting illegal infiltrators and opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to safeguard its alleged vote bank.
Addressing thousands of supporters at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground, Modi claimed that unchecked illegal immigration under the TMC government had altered the demographic balance in several parts of West Bengal. He alleged that the ruling party deliberately encouraged infiltration for political gains.
The Prime Minister argued that the TMC was resisting the voter list revision exercise because it would expose and remove the names of illegal voters. According to him, the party was not even willing to remove the names of deceased voters from the rolls, fearing that a cleaned-up voter list would weaken its electoral prospects.
Official figures from the revision exercise show that around 6.366 million names—roughly 8.3 percent of the electorate—have been deleted since the process began in November last year. As a result, the state’s total number of voters has dropped from about 76.6 million to slightly over 70.4 million. Additionally, more than 6 million voters have been placed in the “under adjudication” category, meaning their eligibility will be decided through legal scrutiny in the coming weeks.
Modi also accused the TMC government of changing the demographic composition of certain areas by allowing illegal infiltration. He alleged that in some places Bengali Hindus were being pushed into a minority position due to these demographic shifts.
Another major issue raised by the Prime Minister was the citizenship of Hindu refugees who had fled religious persecution in neighbouring countries. He claimed that the TMC opposed granting citizenship to such refugees because they were not part of its political support base.
Escalating his criticism, Modi alleged that the state government functioned with the backing of criminal elements and that extortion and “cut money” had become key sources of income for those in power. According to him, infiltrators were being used to strengthen such networks, creating threats to the security, economy and social fabric of the state.
The Prime Minister also criticised the ruling party for attacking constitutional institutions, particularly the Election Commission, over the voter roll revision exercise. He described such criticism as an attempt to undermine democratic processes.
Sending a strong political signal ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, Modi declared that the days of the ruling party were numbered. He said the countdown had begun for the government led by Mamata Banerjee and promised that a government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party would bring governance based on accountability and development.
Warning those allegedly involved in political intimidation and violence, the Prime Minister said strict legal action would be taken against them if the BJP came to power. According to him, criminals, infiltrators and those engaging in appeasement politics would face the full force of the law.
He also alleged that a climate of fear had been created in the state, claiming that voters, opposition parties and even the media were being intimidated. According to Modi, people were sometimes threatened with losing government benefits if they did not support the ruling party.
Framing the upcoming election as a decisive moment for the state, the Prime Minister urged voters to bring about political change. He said the election was not just about replacing a government but about restoring what he described as the spirit of Bengal and ending fear-driven politics.
Saturday’s rally was Modi’s first major visit to West Bengal since the publication of the revised electoral rolls on February 28, an issue that has already triggered intense political debate in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly elections.
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