Gen Z backs BJP’s development model, says PM Modi citing BMC win at Bengal rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that India’s younger generation, particularly Gen Z voters, has placed its trust in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s development-oriented governance, citing recent civic poll victories as evidence of the party’s expanding acceptance.

Addressing a public rally in West Bengal, the prime minister pointed to the BJP’s strong performance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections and the party’s breakthrough win in Thiruvananthapuram as milestones that were once considered politically improbable.

Referring to the Mumbai civic polls, Modi described the outcome as a historic mandate, noting that the BJP secured a record victory in one of the world’s largest and wealthiest municipal bodies. He added that the party’s success in Kerala’s capital, where it recently elected its first mayor, reflected a broader shift in voter confidence.

“Places where BJP victories were once considered impossible are now showing strong support. This demonstrates the growing faith of the country’s voters, especially Gen Z, in the BJP’s development model,” Modi said.

The rally comes amid the BJP’s renewed push to expand its footprint in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. In the 2021 state polls, the party had emerged as the principal opposition, and it is now seeking to convert its momentum from civic and national-level successes into electoral gains in the state.

Modi also unveiled a new political slogan for Bengal, calling for change and urging voters to back a BJP-led government. As part of his visit, he flagged off India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train between Howrah and Guwahati and launched multiple rail and road infrastructure projects worth ₹3,250 crore, aimed at improving connectivity in eastern India and the Northeast.