Starting with “Jai Maa Kali” instead of the usual “Jai Shri Ram”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent a missive in Bengali urging the people of Bengal to vote for change in the coming Assembly polls.
“Jai Maa Kali. In just a few months, the fate of Bengal will be decided. It will also be decided which path the future of the next generation of West Bengal will take, and it depends on your one decision,” Modi wrote in his missive, which the party has started distributing across the state.
However, this is not the first time Modi has invoked the goddess Kali.
In July last year, at a rally in Durgapur, Modi had raised slogans of “Jai Maa Kali” and “Jai Maa Durga” instead of hailing Ram — a shift believed to better connect with Bengal’s ethos.
In recent days, the Bengal BJP has started presenting Modi and other top Delhi leaders with portraits of gods and goddesses rooted in Bengal, a move that became prominent after Samik Bhattacharya took charge as the state president of the party’s Bengal unit.
In his long letter, Modi pointed to allegations of corruption, appeasement, and violence before vowing to form a new government that would erase those ills and bring peace and stability to Bengal, a state which once showed the country the path to uplift.
“After Independence, West Bengal was a guiding force in the nation’s economy and a pioneer in industrialisation. But due to prolonged political instability and corruption, the state has fallen behind. Now the time for change has come,” the missive signed by the Prime Minister said.
“We must free ourselves from the politics of violence, appeasement and corruption. Through peace, development and transparent governance, we must build a new West Bengal. We want employment opportunities for Bengal’s youth, fair prices for farmers, and safety and empowerment for women. I humbly appeal to you — join this journey of change. Vote in favour of development, transparency and a strong, self-reliant Bengal,” he added.
Modi also explained in his letter why the people of the country had trusted him for over a decade, indicating that the people of Bengal should support him in the 2026 Assembly elections.
“Over the past 10 years, I have received the blessings of the people of the country. Public welfare and all-round development have been the guiding principles of our government. From the welfare of farmers to the empowerment of youth, from the upliftment of the poor — our clear policies and dedicated efforts are before you.
Against the severe misgovernance and corruption of the state government, direct financial assistance has been delivered to six crore people of West Bengal through the Jan-Dhan scheme,” wrote the Prime Minister.
Rivals react
The Trinamool Congress was quick to come up with a counter.
“He began with goddess Kali and we are sure that after the 2026 elections, he will utter ‘Joy Bangla’ too,” said Trinamool spokesperson Arup Chakraborty.
“Yesterday, he praised the Trinamool Congress, and now he is sending a missive with a different narrative. Which version of Modi should we believe? The BJP should make that clear first,” Chakraborty said, referring to Modi slamming the Congress for its “shirtless protest” at the AI Summit and remarking that Trinamool had not done anything like that.
The CPM criticised Modi’s letter, saying it did not talk about what the central agencies had done to take scam-ridden Trinamool leaders to task.
“Narendra Modi is calling for change. But does he have the right to do that? The BJP and the Trinamool are hand-in-glove. The setting between the two is deep. Look at the way central investigating agencies have handled cases like RG Kar rape-and-murder or the multiple scams perpetrated by Trinamool leaders. The PM has a lot to answer to the people of Bengal,” CPM leader Kalatan Dasgupta said.
BJP sources said the party had instructed its district units to reach every doorstep and hand over Modi’s missive. The work has started in most districts and is expected to be completed shortly.
