Phase-1 polling signals beginning of end for TMC, says Narendra Modi; Mamata Banerjee takes a dig at him over boat ride:

PTI, April 24, 2026, Kolkata : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday mounted an aggressive twin-pronged attack on the ruling TMC, declaring that the first phase of West Bengal's assembly elections had sealed a "wave of change" in favour of the BJP and signalled the beginning of the end of the Mamata Banerjee-led government's "maha jungle raj".

Addressing back-to-back rallies in Dum Dum's Panihati and Baruipur in the Jadavpur Lok Sabha segment, Modi framed the nearly 92 per cent turnout in Thursday's first phase of polling as an endorsement of the BJP's call for regime change and a rejection of what he described as TMC's "dictatorship", corruption and syndicate rule. "The wave of change that had been visible in Bengal for a long time - yesterday's first phase of voting has put its seal on it. The support shown in favour of the BJP has sounded the conch shell of the BJP's victory," he said.

Seeking to convert the high turnout into a larger political narrative, the Prime Minister said the people of Bengal had begun reclaiming democracy through the ballot after years of political intimidation. "In Bengal, where TMC had crushed the temple of democracy, where it had shattered democracy with its dictatorship, people in the first phase have reconstructed that temple. In the second phase, you have to unfurl the victory flag over this temple," he said.

The TMC was rattled by Thursday's turnout, Modi claimed, saying: "This is why throughout last night, the TMC was empowering its goons to take to the field." Escalating the attack, he said: "Yesterday's first phase of voting has declared the end of TMC's reign of jungle raj. On May 4, after the results are declared, TMC goons will have no place to hide. No one will be able to protect them."

At the Baruipur rally, Modi sharpened the pitch, claiming the TMC might "not even be able to open its account" if the momentum seen in phase one continued. "Now you must ensure a decisive defeat for TMC and a clear victory for the BJP," he told the gathering.

At Jadavpur, the Prime Minister linked the same charge to local grievances, alleging that syndicates controlled construction material supply and residents were forced to pay "protection money" even to build homes on their own land. He also attacked the TMC over frequent unrest at Jadavpur University, saying the premier institution had become a symbol of disorder and political intimidation.

"Jadavpur University was once spoken of with great respect. The foundation of the campus was built on nationalism. But today, people are being threatened and students are being forced to protest. We do not want anarchy; we want a healthy academic environment," he said.

Women's safety and representation also figured prominently in Modi's campaign pitch as he described the TMC as an "anti-women party" and projected the BJP's "women-led development model". Referring to BJP's Panihati candidate Ratna Debnath, mother of the RG Kar Hospital's rape-murder victim, Modi sought to turn the high-profile case into a political indictment of the ruling dispensation.

The Prime Minister on Friday morning took a boat ride on the Hooghly River here and said its divine waters carry the timeless spirit of an entire civilisation. Modi also asserted that he was committed towards the development of West Bengal and the prosperity of the "great Bengali people".

The Prime Minister posted a few photographs of his river trip on social media, in which he is seen seated on a wooden boat with a camera in hand, and the iconic Howrah Bridge and Vidyasagar Setu are visible in the background. "Tried my hand at photographing this great river. Also caught a close glimpse of the Vidyasagar Setu and Howrah Bridge," Modi said on X. For every Bengali, the Ganga occupies a very special place, he said.

Taking a dig at the Prime Minister over his boat ride, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said he could enjoy a boat ride on the Hooghly in the state because its waters were clean, unlike the Yamuna in Delhi, which she alleged was polluted.

Addressing an election meeting in Howrah, Mamata said Modi would not be able to undertake a similar boat ride on the Yamuna in the national capital due to pollution, blaming the BJP-led administration there for the river's condition. She said it was good that the Prime Minister chose to take a boat ride on the Hooghly River, where riverfront areas had been beautified by the state government and civic bodies, including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

Responding to Modi's claims about women's safety in Bengal, Mamata said he should assess the situation himself and compare it with BJP-ruled states. "See how safe women are here -- in the city, in the state, on the streets -- unlike BJP-ruled places like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere, where incidents of attacks on women are reported every day," she said. "Why do you forget about Hathras and Delhi? Please go to Manipur, which is burning. Why are you silent on Manipur," she asked.