Title: PM Modi’s West Bengal Election 2026 Tour: Boat Ride, Photos & Viral Moments Ahead of Phase 2 Voting
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in West Bengal on April 8, 2026, to campaign for the second phase of the state assembly elections, conducting a boat ride along the Hooghly River and visiting key sites in Howrah and Belur.
Modi began his tour by boarding a government vessel at Prinsep Ghat in Kolkata, sailing upstream toward Howrah. During the journey, he waved to voters gathered along the riverbanks and pointed out landmarks, including the Vidyasagar Setu and the Howrah Bridge. Officials from the Election Commission confirmed that the boat ride was part of the prime minister’s scheduled campaign activities for the day, conducted under standard security protocols.
Upon disembarking at Howrah station, Modi proceeded to a nearby polling booth in the Shibpur area, where he interacted with voters and party workers. He wore a traditional white kurta and carried a small camera, using it to capture images of the river and surrounding ghats. Photographs taken during the boat ride were later shared on his official social media accounts, accompanied by a caption referencing the cultural and spiritual significance of the Ganges in Bengal.
The prime minister then traveled to Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, arriving at approximately 11:30 a.m. He spent about 30 minutes on the campus, meeting with senior monks and touring the main temple. Modi offered prayers at the shrine dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna and signed the visitor’s book. No public address was delivered during the visit, and the Math authorities confirmed that the interaction was private and ceremonial in nature.
Election officials in South 24-Parganas reported that Modi had addressed a rally in the Baruipur constituency earlier that morning, focusing on development schemes and central government allocations to the state. The Election Commission noted that all campaign activities adhered to the model code of conduct, with expenditure monitors deployed to track spending in real time.
Voting for the second phase of the West Bengal assembly elections was scheduled to initiate at 7 a.m. On April 10, covering 30 constituencies across districts including Howrah, Hooghly, and parts of Kolkata. The Trinamool Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, and Indian National Congress are the primary contenders in the phase, with voter turnout in the first phase recorded at 78.4% according to preliminary data released by the Chief Electoral Officer’s office.
As of 5 p.m. On April 8, the Election Commission had not released any updates on violations or complaints related to the prime minister’s campaign activities in West Bengal. The next phase of polling is set for April 16, with counting of votes scheduled for May 2.