Narendra Modi, the incumbent Prime Minister of India, is scheduled to hold a Lok Sabha election rally in West Bengal’s Raiganj on Tuesday, April 16, marking a significant milestone as the first sitting Prime Minister to do so. This event follows closely on the heels of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent roadshow in Raiganj, where she engaged with the local populace along a three-kilometer stretch.
Raiganj Lok Sabha Seat: BJP vs TMC Showdown
The Raiganj Lok Sabha constituency, nestled within the North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, is poised for a fierce electoral battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC). In this high-stakes contest, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has nominated Krishna Kalyani as its candidate, while the BJP has fielded Kartick Paul.
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Previous Electoral Dynamics
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP’s Debasree Chaudhuri clinched victory in the Raiganj seat with a substantial margin of 60,574 votes, defeating TMC’s Agarwal Kanaialal. This victory marked a significant shift in political dynamics, as in the 2014 elections, Md. Salim from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) emerged triumphant, defeating Congress candidate Deepa Dasmunsi by a slender margin of 1,634 votes.
PM Modi’s Campaign Itinerary
In addition to the rally in Raiganj, PM Modi is also slated to address a gathering in Bengal’s Balurghat district. Prior to these engagements, the Prime Minister has been actively campaigning in Bihar, where he recently held rallies in Gaya and Purnea. During his speeches, PM Modi didn’t mince words, directing sharp criticisms towards the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for their governance track record in Bihar.
He emphasized the initiatives outlined in his ‘guarantee card’ for the upcoming elections, including the promise of three crore houses for the poor, free ration for the next five years, free healthcare for citizens above 70 years of age, and the continuation of the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
