Kolkata, February 23 – The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has begun distributing a letter written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Bengali and Hindi, to voters as part of its campaign ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections.
In the letter, the Prime Minister accuses the Mamata Banerjee-led government and the ruling Trinamool Congress of attempting to deprive people of benefits from centrally sponsored schemes. He also claims that, despite obstacles from the state administration, many residents have still benefited from these programs.
"In just a few months, the electoral fate of West Bengal will be decided. Your decision will determine the future of the state. The people of West Bengal are suffering. I am equally concerned. Therefore, I want to make a promise today: to rebuild a developed and prosperous West Bengal," the letter states.
In subsequent paragraphs, the Prime Minister lists welfare and development schemes introduced since 2014 by the National Democratic Alliance government, led by him, asserting that these initiatives have benefited people across sectors in the state, despite what he describes as non-cooperation from the state government.
"In the post-independence era, West Bengal was the heart of India's economy. But today, I am deeply concerned about the state's ailing economy. West Bengal has suffered for the last six decades due to continuous misrule and appeasement politics. On one hand, educated youth are forced to seek employment elsewhere. On the other hand, women in the state are constantly worried about their safety and dignity," Modi wrote.
He also invokes the legacy of figures such as Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Rabindranath Tagore, and Subhas Chandra Bose, stating that the state, which once produced such icons, is now facing challenges, including alleged illegal infiltration, concerns over women's safety, and economic decline.
"But how long will you tolerate these things? Change is inevitable now. The livelihoods of people in other states have improved significantly. Many people in those states have risen above the poverty level. The people of West Bengal deserve the same development. Therefore, let us unite to rebuild a developed West Bengal," the PM says in the letter.
