Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a late-stage election rally in Barrackpore, said the people were his “family” and claimed West Bengal was looking for honest governance and a change in administration.
Modi said Barrackpore, which he linked to the freedom struggle, was now setting the path for a new direction in the state. He added that he finds happiness in living among people and described serving and protecting West Bengal as his duty.
Calling the Barrackpore event his last campaign programme in the state, Modi said he would return after May 4 for the BJP’s oath-taking ceremony, expressing confidence that the party would form the government.
He also spoke about the large crowds he saw along the route to the venue, saying he had not imagined such a turnout. Criticising the ruling Trinamool Congress, he alleged that industrial activity had declined, factories had shut, and the state lacked a clear plan for future growth.
Modi argued that West Bengal needed a “double-engine” government, with the state and Centre working together for faster development, and said the Trinamool Congress government should be removed.
