Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday assured the people of Bengal that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will fulfill the dream of ‘sonar Bangla’ if it comes to power in the state.

“Today, I have come here today to assure you of Bengal's development, to increase investment here, to protect Bengal's culture and to bring change,” he said.

Addressing the mega rally at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata, Modi said that the people of Bengal never left their hopes for change despite the betrayal by Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Didi (Mamata Banerjee), adding, "People of Bengal want 'shanti', 'sonar Bangla', 'pragatisheel Bangla'."

"The people of Bengal had chosen you as 'Didi' but then why did you remain the aunt of a nephew? The people of Bengal are asking only this one question from you," he said.

The BJP has been accusing Banerjee of trying to install her nephew and MP Abhishek as the next Chief Minister. Hitting back at rival leaders like former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Banerjee, who often accuse him of favouring his industrialist friends,

"Lotus is about to bloom in Bengal because of the 'kichad' (muck) created by you, Didi," he said.

The Prime Minister said he was committed to bring "asol parivartan" (real change) in West Bengal where all sections of people progress but nobody is appeased, and infiltration is stopped. "Be it North Bengal or South Bengal, ordinary people or refugees....all will progress but nobody will be appeased," he said.

After having a limited presence in the politically polarised state for decades, the BJP has emerged as the ruling Trinamool Congress's main rival by winning 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal 2019 general elections, only four less than TMC's tally of 22.

With the BJP's strength increasing in the state in the last few years, its leaders are upbeat that the party will end Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's 10-year rule in the state polls.

Elections for the West Bengal assembly will be held in eight phases beginning with polling for 30 seats on March 27.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already drawn the battleline with declaration of TMC candidate list Friday.

Banerjee, who heads Trinamool Congress, announced names of 291 candidates and left three seats for the ally Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in Darjeeling.

(With inputs from PTI)

(Edited by : Aditi Gautam)

First Published:Mar 7, 2021 2:53 PM IST