Fresh political violence was reported in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Sunday night, hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled rally in Jagdal on Monday. BJP and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters allegedly clashed near Jagdal, triggering stone-pelting, crude bomb attacks and firing, according to local reports.

At least three people were injured in the violence. BJP leaders also claimed that a CISF personnel suffered a bullet injury in the leg during the unrest, though there was no immediate official confirmation from security agencies till late Sunday night.

Violence In Jagdal

The violence was reported near the Jaleebi Math ground in Jagdal, where Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address a public rally on Monday as part of the BJP’s campaign for the second phase of the West Bengal elections.

According to BJP workers, party posters and flags put up for the rally were allegedly torn down by rival supporters. BJP members said they went to the local police station to lodge a complaint, where TMC supporters also gathered. An argument reportedly escalated into a street clash outside the police station.

Eyewitness accounts cited by local sources indicated that both groups hurled stones at each other before the confrontation turned violent.

Bomb Attack Claim

News agency ANI reported that crude bombs were allegedly hurled at the residence of BJP candidate Pawan Kumar Singh, who is contesting from the Bhatpara assembly seat.

The BJP claimed the attack was politically motivated and linked it to heightened tensions around Prime Minister Modi’s visit. There was no immediate response from the TMC on the allegation.

Police have not yet issued a detailed statement on the reported bombing, though security has been tightened in the area following the incident.

High-Stakes Campaign Day

Monday marks the final day of campaigning for the second phase of polling in West Bengal, scheduled for April 29. The political temperature in the state remains high, with all major parties pushing aggressive last-mile campaigns in key constituencies.

Prime Minister Modi is set to address the Jagdal rally as the BJP seeks to consolidate support in the industrial belt of North 24 Parganas, where political contests have remained sharply polarised.

The Bengal election has witnessed repeated allegations of intimidation, violence and clashes between rival political camps, making law and order a central issue in the campaign.

Top Leaders Mobilise

The final campaign day will also see senior leaders from both sides on the ground.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to hold two roadshows in West Bengal on Monday. His first programme will begin from Behala police station in Kolkata and continue till Manton. The second roadshow is planned in Chandannagar’s Bagbazar area in Hooghly district.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is also set to intensify campaigning. She will join a public march in Jadavpur in support of TMC candidates from Jadavpur and Tollygunge, before addressing a public meeting in her home constituency, Bhabanipur.

Security Under Focus

The latest violence has once again brought election security in West Bengal under scrutiny. With central forces deployed across sensitive polling zones, the reported injury to a CISF personnel, if confirmed, is likely to raise fresh questions over preparedness and local coordination.

Security arrangements have been stepped up in Jagdal and adjoining areas ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit. Additional deployment of police and central forces is expected through Monday.

Officials are likely to review the incident and assess whether further reinforcements are needed before campaigning closes.

What Happens Next

The reported clash in Jagdal has added to tensions ahead of a crucial polling round in West Bengal. With campaigning ending Monday and voting due on April 29, attention will remain on security enforcement and the Election Commission’s next steps. Any escalation in Bengal poll violence could influence both voter turnout and campaign messaging in the final stretch.

Modi Holds Final Assam Rallies as Election Fever Grips Northeast India

Prime Minister addresses three constituencies in last campaign push before April 9 Assam Assembly polls; Gandhi targets CM Sarma

Campaign Enters Final Stretch

With Assam set to vote on April 9, the last week of campaigning has seen the country's top political heavyweights descend on the northeastern state in force. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed three back-to-back election rallies on Monday — at Bhowanipur-Sarbhog in Barpeta district, Hojai in central Assam, and Dibrugarh in Upper Assam — as the Bharatiya Janata Party makes a concerted push for a third consecutive term in power.

Monday's visit marks Modi's final campaign blitz in the state ahead of single-phase polling on April 9, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah scheduled to hold his own rallies a day later on April 7.

BJP Eyes Historic Hat-Trick

Modi has repeatedly framed this election as a quest for a "hat-trick," declaring at earlier rallies that a third consecutive BJP government in Assam is a certainty. The party currently governs the state under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and is seeking to consolidate gains made since 2016.

At a rally in Gogamukh earlier this month, Modi announced that a Uniform Civil Code would be introduced in Assam to safeguard the rights of indigenous communities and protect cultural heritage in Sixth Schedule areas. The promise has since become a centrepiece of the BJP's campaign pitch.

Modi Attacks TMC in Bengal

The Prime Minister spent Sunday on the campaign trail in West Bengal, which goes to polls between April 23 and 29. Modi took sharp aim at the ruling Trinamool Congress government, declaring that it would be held accountable after the BJP's expected victory in that state. According to PTI, Modi assured supporters that a full reckoning of what he described as the TMC's "sins" would follow the election results.

Gandhi Targets Sarma

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi held a campaign event on Sunday in the Biswanath district of Assam, using the platform to sharpen his attack on the state's sitting Chief Minister. Gandhi called Himanta Biswa Sarma the "most corrupt and hate-spreading Chief Minister" in the country, according to reports from the event. The remarks signal Congress's strategy of making Sarma's leadership a central electoral issue rather than targeting the BJP's national narrative alone.

Sarma himself is contesting the Jalukbari seat, where he faces Congress candidate Bidisha Neog along with an independent challenger.

South India: TVK Rally Called Off

Campaigning is also underway in Tamil Nadu, where elections are scheduled for April 23. However, Monday saw a setback for the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the party floated by actor-turned-politician Vijay. The party called off planned rallies in the Chennai constituencies of Villivakkam and T Nagar, citing insufficient time granted by police to move between the two venues.

According to news agency ANI, TVK sources confirmed the party intends to file a complaint with the Election Commission of India over the matter. The cancellation is unlikely to derail TVK's broader campaign, but it hands rivals a talking point heading into the final weeks before polling day in the southern state.

Markets Rattle on Global Cues

Indian equity markets opened in the red on Monday morning, as global investor sentiment took a hit following US President Donald Trump's remarks threatening fresh pressure on Iran. The development added to existing jitters around trade tariffs and energy prices, rattling domestic indices at the start of the week's trading session.

What Comes Next

With Assam's polling day just three days away and campaigning set to conclude on Tuesday evening, the final hours of electioneering will be closely watched. Assam CM Sarma had earlier promised voters two free LPG cylinders annually during Bihu and Durga Puja, a pledge likely to feature prominently in the BJP's closing arguments to voters. All eyes now turn to April 9, when 126 assembly constituencies across Assam will decide whether the saffron camp achieves the hat-trick its top leader has been promising.

Modi Fires Bengal Poll Salvo From Cooch Behar's Ras Mela Ground

BJP's 'Bijoy Sankalpa Sabha' marks PM's first campaign rally in West Bengal since assembly elections were announced; TMC governance, law and order in crosshairs

BJP Opens Bengal Battle

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday formally launched the Bharatiya Janata Party's election campaign in West Bengal, addressing a massive 'Bijoy Sankalpa Sabha' at the Ras Mela grounds in Cooch Behar — a district that has steadily emerged as one of the party's most reliable strongholds in the state's north.

The rally, scheduled at 4:15 pm, marked the PM's first election meeting in the state since poll dates were officially announced. It also constituted his fourth public meeting at the same Ras Mela grounds, having previously addressed gatherings there during the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha campaigns and the 2021 assembly polls.

TMC's Record on Trial

During the rally, Modi was expected to outline BJP's vision for a "developed West Bengal", highlight issues raised in the party's recently released 'People's Chargesheet' against the ruling Trinamool Congress, and press hard on governance failures, law and order deterioration, and allegations of corruption.

Party leaders framed the event as more than an electoral opener. According to a BJP statement, the Prime Minister's visit was "centred on transitioning West Bengal from an era of systemic 'bhoy' (fear) to a future of 'bhorosa' (trust)", and the rally was described as "a definitive launchpad to replace the chronicle of betrayal with a commitment to security and growth."

North Bengal: The Saffron Citadel

Cooch Behar was not an arbitrary choice. In the 2021 assembly elections, BJP won 30 of the 54 seats in north Bengal, with Cooch Behar contributing seven of the nine seats from the district. The region has delivered consistently for the party across electoral cycles, and BJP is keen to consolidate those gains with boots on the ground well before the April 23 first phase of polling.

Among the development projects highlighted in the district is a Rs 1,010-crore city gas distribution initiative, which party functionaries have been projecting as evidence of the Centre's commitment to the region.

Last Bengal Visit: March 14

Modi had last visited the state on March 14, when he addressed a major rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata, marking the culmination of BJP's statewide 'Parivartan Yatra' campaign. During that visit, he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for infrastructure and connectivity projects worth approximately Rs 18,680 crore, including national highway developments valued at around Rs 16,990 crore, covering over 420 kilometres of road projects.

Campaign Machine Rolls On

The April 5 rally is set to be followed by a series of public meetings, roadshows, and organisational programmes by senior BJP leaders across the state ahead of the polls, as the party gears up for what it has described as a final push for a decisive mandate in Bengal.

Meanwhile, TMC has been mounting its counter-offensive. West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim, contesting from Kolkata Port constituency, warned that a BJP government in the state could damage local culture. "Hatred in politics is very wrong," he said, adding that the party's focus remained on development and direct engagement with voters.

Two-Phase Vote, May 4 Count

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly will be held in two phases — on April 23 and April 29 — with votes counted on May 4. The contest is shaping up as a direct, high-decibel clash between the BJP's national machinery and the TMC's incumbent organisational depth, with north Bengal expected to be among the most hotly contested stretches of the electoral map.

What to Watch Ahead

With Modi's Bengal poll campaign now officially underway, the coming days will see an escalating battle of narratives. BJP's central leadership — including Home Minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda — is expected to intensify its presence across the state. TMC, for its part, will rely heavily on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's personal campaign, with the CM herself contesting from Bhabanipur.

The Cooch Behar rally has set the tone: governance failures, alleged corruption, and the promise of a "fear-free" Bengal are expected to remain the core of BJP's message through the final weeks of campaigning before the West Bengal assembly elections 2026.

Modi Predicts Hat-Trick for NDA in Assam as Mamata Slams BJP Over 'Looting' Public Funds

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asserted that the BJP-led NDA is on course for a third straight victory in the Assam Assembly elections, even as Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee accused the saffron party of corruption and misleading voters ahead of the crucial polls in multiple states.

Assam Polls Heat Up With Sharp Attacks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off a vigorous campaign push in poll-bound Assam on Wednesday, addressing back-to-back public rallies in Dhemaji and Biswanath districts. Speaking at Gogamukh in Dhemaji, Modi expressed strong confidence that the NDA alliance would secure a hat-trick in the state, where Assembly elections are scheduled for April 9.

Without directly naming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Prime Minister took a swipe at the opposition, referring to the “so-called prince” of the Congress heading for a “century of defeats”. He highlighted the massive crowds at the rallies as proof of public support that the Congress could never match.

Modi also visited a tea garden in Dibrugarh earlier in the day, interacting with women workers and describing the experience as memorable. He called tea gardens the pride of Assam and pledged continued support for workers.

Mamata Targets BJP in Bengal Rally

In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a strong attack on the BJP during a public meeting in Birbhum. She reminded the audience that Bengal had played a key role in India’s freedom struggle at a time when the BJP did not even exist. Banerjee alleged that BJP leaders were “looting public money” and misleading people with false promises.

The TMC supremo stressed the need to defeat the BJP decisively so that it “never stands up again”. Her remarks came amid ongoing tensions over voter list revisions in the state, with the party continuing its protest near the Chief Electoral Officer’s office.

Priyanka Gandhi Accuses Assam Govt of Corruption

Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, campaigning in Dibrugarh and other parts of Assam, described the state government as running under “double slavery” and alleged rampant corruption, intimidation, and the existence of “mafia raj” and “syndrome raj”. She claimed people were tired of such governance and wanted a return to better days.

Development Pitch and Welfare Promises

In his addresses, Modi highlighted several achievements and future plans for Assam. He announced an ambitious ₹18,500 crore under-river tunnel project beneath the Brahmaputra to improve connectivity in the North East. The Prime Minister also promised pucca houses for the poor, with many to be registered in women’s names, along with better kitchens and toilets.

Modi pointed to progress in wildlife conservation, stating that after years of neglect, the BJP-NDA government had restored habitats and increased sightings of one-horned rhinos. He criticised previous Congress regimes for failing to protect the state’s natural resources and cultural icons like Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika.

Other initiatives mentioned included the Lakhpati Didi scheme empowering women, increased assistance under the Arunodoi scheme, and plans for a semiconductor chip manufacturing facility that would position Assam as a hub for both “tea and chip” on the global map. Modi emphasised the “double engine” government’s focus on making Assam self-reliant while addressing long-standing issues of floods and erosion.

Election-Related Developments Across States

In West Bengal, protests erupted in Basirhat over the alleged deletion of 125 voter names from a booth. The Election Commission ordered the suspension of a Block Development Officer in Nadia district following reports of irregularities. The TMC has raised concerns about large-scale issues in Form-6 applications.

In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister MK Stalin reaffirmed his commitment to his father M Karunanidhi’s ideals during a campaign event in Tiruchirappalli. He criticised both AIADMK and the BJP-led Centre.

The Election Commission has introduced a vote-from-home facility in Assam for elderly voters above 85 and persons with disabilities, with polling teams set to visit homes until April 5. Polling for all 126 seats in Assam is slated for April 9, with results expected on May 4.

Public Interest and Campaign Intensity

As campaigning intensifies across Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and other states, leaders from major parties are sharpening their attacks while outlining visions for development and governance. The coming days are likely to see further rallies, roadshows and policy announcements as parties seek to consolidate support.

Voters in Assam will decide the fate of the incumbent BJP-led government seeking a third term, while opposition parties aim to capitalise on issues of corruption, welfare and local concerns.

What Lies Ahead

With just over a week left for polling in Assam, the focus remains on voter turnout, last-minute alliances and the Election Commission’s efforts to ensure free and fair polls. The outcome in Assam is being closely watched as an early indicator for the broader Assembly elections in 2026.