With a camera in hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning shared pictures of his boat ride and spending time on the banks of the Hooghly River in Kolkata, just hours after the conclusion of Phase 1 voting for the West Bengal Assembly elections, which recorded a massive 92.88 per cent turnout, the highest since Independence.
In the visuals shared by the Prime Minister on X, he is seen sitting on a wooden boat holding a camera, with Vidyasagar Setu visible in the background. He expressed gratitude to "Maa Ganga" and reiterated his commitment to work for Bengal's development and the prosperity of the Bengali population.
Hooghly is the westernmost tributary of the River Ganga.
"For every Bengali, the Ganga occupies a very special place. One can say that the Ganga flows through the soul of Bengal. Her divine waters carry the timeless spirit of an entire civilisation. This morning in Kolkata, I spent some time on the banks of the Hooghly River, an opportunity to express gratitude to Maa Ganga...On the Hooghly, reiterated our commitment to work towards the development of West Bengal and the prosperity of the great Bengali people," he wrote in the post.
PM Modi also met some locals and boatmen along the river banks as he shared pictures of meeting and greeting people out for a morning walk.
West Bengal assembly elections: Highest-ever turnout in Phase 1
The visit comes amid ongoing political activity in the state. Polling for the first phase of the West Bengal elections concluded at 6 pm on Thursday with a massive turnout of 92.88 per cent, which the Election Commission has called the highest-ever since Independence. Phase 2 voting will be held on April 29.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Krishnanagar, where he also visited Belur Math, where he offered prayers. Today, PM Modi will hold poll rallies in Dum Dum and Jadavpur at 11.30 am and 1 pm respectively.
The BJP is aiming to unseat the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state.
Calling the high turnout an “overwhelming mandate for change”, Modi said May 4, the counting day, would mark the "expiry" of the TMC’s "15-year-old syndicate system and maha jungle raj" in the state.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, said polling trends so far indicate the TMC is “already in a position to win”, with the party projecting victory in 125 to 134 of the 152 constituencies. Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
Also read: West Bengal records historic 92.88% voter turnout, Tamil Nadu sees 85%, EC salutes voters