Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday, 17 May cited the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) electoral performance in West Bengal, saying the party secured a powerful mandate following an extensive campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shah made the remarks while addressing a public programme in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, held to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for development projects worth ₹620 crore.

Shah on Bengal's Poll Response

Reflecting on the recently concluded assembly elections across five states, Shah said he had spent three months campaigning intensively. He singled out West Bengal as a standout example of public enthusiasm, describing the atmosphere at Modi's rallies as extraordinary.

'In 42-degree heat, if you had seen PM Modi's rallies, it looked like a Kumbh Mela. Everywhere we went, chants of Jai Shri Ram echoed,' Shah said, framing the religious slogans as an expression of the electorate's mood during the campaign.

He added that many had doubted the BJP's prospects in the state, but the results vindicated his confidence. 'The people gave us 207 seats and entrusted BJP with a huge responsibility,' he said.

Critique of Bengal's Governance Record

Shah also criticised West Bengal's governance over recent decades, alleging that development had stagnated and that residents faced political interference in everyday economic activities. He drew a pointed comparison with Gujarat, holding it up as a model of infrastructure-led growth.

He argued that the BJP's expansion in eastern India reflected growing public appetite for the party's governance approach, and credited grassroots party workers for building the organisational strength that made the electoral gains possible.

Gandhinagar Development Projects

The event in Gandhinagar saw Shah inaugurate and lay foundation stones for a range of civic projects, including health centres, water supply infrastructure, community halls, roads, gardens, sports facilities, and sewage treatment systems. Officials described the projects as part of a broader push to upgrade amenities in both newly developed and older parts of the city.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, also present at the event, said the state government was committed to developing cities with green infrastructure and sustainable planning. He noted that the Gandhinagar Parliamentary constituency was being developed with a target of planting five lakh trees during the year, with the aim of making it one of the greenest constituencies in the country.

Officials and Representatives Present

The programme was attended by State Urban Development Minister Darshana Vaghela, Mayor Miraben Patel, and MLAs Alpesh Thakor and Rita Patel, along with several other public representatives and senior officials.

With the BJP consolidating its position in eastern India and Gujarat's urban development agenda moving ahead, both the political and governance dimensions of Sunday's event are likely to draw continued attention in the weeks ahead.