"I will return for BJP's oath-taking after May 4": PM Modi expresses confidence in Bengal win

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said Bengal has played a deeply personal role in his life and spiritual journey.

"The attachment I have had towards Bengal has been a devotion to Shakti. This has been the energy center of my personal spiritual journey. It has been inspired by Bengal's great personalities and the immense love of the people, the Janata Janardan. The experiences I have had on this land of Bengal, I consider a great blessing upon myself," PM Modi said.

Calling the Barrackpore rally his final public meeting in the ongoing election campaign in the state, he expressed confidence in the electoral outcome.

"This is my last rally in this election, and wherever I have gone in West Bengal, I have seen the mood of the people. I am returning with the confidence that after the results on May 4, I will have to come back to attend the BJP's oath-taking ceremony," he added.

The Prime Minister also spoke about his emotional connect with people during campaign events, saying he values the gestures and messages he receives.

"During the rallies and roadshows in Bengal, I received such heartfelt messages and portraits that I will never forget them. After the events, I take time at night to carefully look at each portrait, reflecting on the emotions expressed by the artists. I also read your messages and letters. In some, I find your pain. In others, I sense your blessings. Later, I make sure my responses are thoughtfully recorded," PM Modi said.

Highlighting his decades-long political journey, he said he has remained continuously engaged in organisational and electoral responsibilities.

"For the past three to four decades, I have been travelling to every corner of the country. After entering politics and joining the BJP, I have worked as a party worker, doing whatever responsibilities the party assigns to me, including handling election duties. I do not consider day or night, nor do I look at the weather; I keep moving. Since I left my home, I have found comfort and peace among all of you, and you are my family," he added.

PM Modi is campaigning in support of the BJP candidate Kaustav Bagchi, against the current MLA and Trinamool Congress candidate, film director Raj (Raju) Chakraborty, who is seeking a second term as the legislator.

The CPI(M) candidate, Suman Ranjan Bandyopadhyay, has, however, been attacking both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP candidate

Barrackpore Assembly constituency is set for a triangular contest in the second phase of West Bengal elections, with candidates from the TMC, BJP, and CPI(M) stepping up campaigns ahead of second phase polling.

Barrackpore is one of the 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal, located in North 24 Parganas district. It is an urban seat with General reservation and falls under the Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency.

On Sunday, PM Modi took the blessings of Goddess Kali at the historic over 300-year-old Thanthania Kalibari temple before embarking on his roadshow in North Kolkata.

Thanthania Kalibari, one of the oldest and most revered Kali temples in Kolkata, had been established in 1703, with its 300-year-old history predating even the city's formal development. Kali Ma was worshipped there as Maa Siddheshwari, and the presiding deity was considered 'Jagrat'. It is said that Ramakrishna Paramahansa frequently visited the temple and sang devotional hymns to Maa Siddheshwari.

Polling for Phase I of the Assembly elections concluded on Thursday, with West Bengal recording a significantly higher voter turnout of 91.78 per cent, according to the Election Commission of India.

The high turnout figures underline an active electoral exercise as polling drew to a close amid tight security arrangements across constituencies.

The polling for the second phase will be held on April 29, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4. (ANI)