PM cites BMC win, targets TMC governance ahead of Bengal polls
January 17, 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India’s Gen Z believes in the BJP’s development model, pointing to the party’s historic victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections as proof of growing public confidence. Addressing a rally in Malda, West Bengal, Modi said the landslide win in Mumbai’s civic body reflected faith in BJP governance and predicted that voters in Bengal would also seek change in the Assembly elections due later this year.
Stepping up his attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress, Modi accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government of corruption and administrative failure. Speaking in Bengali, he said “Ei sarkar palano dorkaar” (this government needs to be changed), alleging that central welfare schemes were being blocked at the state level, denying people their rightful benefits. He also claimed that the TMC government was shielding illegal infiltrators, asserting that strict action would follow if the BJP comes to power in the state.
Reaching out to the Matua community and other persecuted refugees, the Prime Minister reiterated that the Citizenship Amendment Act protects their rights and ensures dignity and security. Modi said the BJP’s focus in Bengal would be on development, security and good governance, adding that the party’s success among young voters across the country signals a broader shift in political aspirations.