Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday stepped up the Bharatiya Janata Party’s political offensive in West Bengal, unveiling a new slogan in Bangla that directly called for a change of government in the state. Addressing a public gathering in Malda after flagging off Vande Bharat sleeper trains, Modi declared, “Paltano darkar, chayee BJP sarkar” (Change is needed, we want a BJP government), a phrase aimed squarely at replacing the Trinamool Congress (TMC) administration led by chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

The slogan marks a clear escalation in the BJP’s campaign ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections due in the first half of the year. By choosing to deliver the line in Bangla, Modi signalled an effort to connect more directly with voters in the state, while framing the election as a decisive moment for political change.

Addressing the rally, Modi said that after the National Democratic Alliance’s victory in Bihar, it was now “time for Bengal.” The remark was intended to project momentum for the BJP and to suggest that electoral success in eastern India could extend beyond Bihar into West Bengal, where the party has been trying for over a decade to dislodge the TMC.

Launching a blistering attack on Mamata Banerjee’s government, Modi accused the TMC of denying the people of Bengal the benefits of key central welfare schemes. He alleged that the state government had deliberately kept residents away from the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme, which provides free health insurance coverage to economically weaker sections.

“The heartless and cruel TMC government is looting public money and preventing central assistance from reaching the people of Bengal,” Modi said, accusing the state administration of placing politics above public welfare. He claimed that the Centre had repeatedly tried to extend welfare benefits to Bengal, but that these efforts were blocked by the state government.

The prime minister’s criticism of the TMC was framed around governance, corruption and welfare delivery, themes that the BJP has consistently highlighted in its Bengal campaign. By focusing on health insurance and central schemes, Modi sought to contrast what he described as the BJP’s development-oriented governance model with what he portrayed as the TMC’s politics of obstruction.

West Bengal has been ruled by the Trinamool Congress since 2011, when Mamata Banerjee ended the Left Front’s 34-year reign. Since then, the TMC has consolidated its hold on the state, winning successive assembly elections and positioning itself as a dominant regional force. The BJP, however, has steadily expanded its footprint, emerging as the principal opposition in recent years and making significant gains in parliamentary and local elections.

With assembly elections approaching, slogan warfare has once again taken centre stage in Bengal’s political discourse. The state has a long tradition of catchy political slogans that resonate deeply with voters. During the previous assembly elections, the TMC galvanised its supporters with the slogan “khela hobey” (game on), projecting an image of defiance and readiness to fight. The BJP responded by reworking TMC slogans and reviving its own lines, including repeated references to “Didi O Didi,” targeting Mamata Banerjee over allegations of corruption and governance failures.

Modi’s new slogan appears designed to simplify the BJP’s message into a single, memorable call for change, while directly challenging the TMC’s narrative of continuity and regional pride. By emphasising “paltano” (change), the BJP is seeking to frame the election as a referendum on Mamata Banerjee’s long tenure.

Beyond Bengal, Modi also used the occasion to highlight what he described as the BJP’s expanding political reach across the country. Referring to recent urban local body elections in Maharashtra, he called the BJP’s performance a “historic victory,” with particular emphasis on the party’s success in Mumbai.

“For the first time, the BJP has secured a record victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, one of the world’s largest municipal corporations,” Modi said, describing it as a significant milestone in Maharashtra’s political landscape. The BMC has long been a stronghold of the Shiv Sena, and the BJP’s emergence as the single-largest party there has been widely seen as a major shift in urban politics.

Modi also pointed to the BJP electing its first mayor in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, a state traditionally dominated by the Left and the Congress. “A few days ago, the BJP also elected its first mayor in Thiruvananthapuram,” he said. “This shows that even in places where winning elections was once considered impossible for the BJP, the party is now receiving unprecedented support.”

By citing victories outside the party’s traditional strongholds, Modi sought to project the BJP as a national force with growing appeal across regions and cultures. He argued that these successes reflected rising trust in the BJP’s development model, particularly among younger voters.

“This demonstrates the immense trust that the country’s voters, especially the younger generation, have in the BJP’s development model,” Modi said. He added that in many regions, “lies and rumours” had been spread about the BJP for years, but voters were now rejecting those narratives and backing the party.

Turning back to Bengal, Modi expressed confidence that the enthusiasm he witnessed at the Malda rally would translate into electoral success. “Seeing your enthusiasm today, I am confident that this time the people of Bengal will also ensure a resounding victory for the BJP,” he said.

The BJP’s task in Bengal, however, remains formidable. The TMC continues to enjoy strong grassroots support, particularly among women and rural voters, bolstered by state-run welfare schemes and Mamata Banerjee’s image as a combative regional leader. The election is expected to be fiercely contested, with sharp exchanges, aggressive campaigning and intense slogan battles dominating the political atmosphere in the months ahead.

With “Paltano darkar, chayee BJP sarkar,” Modi has now added a fresh rallying cry to that battle, signalling that the BJP intends to fight the Bengal election on an explicitly local, emotive and high-voltage pitch. Whether the slogan resonates widely enough to alter the state’s political equation will become clear when voters head to the polls later this year.