PM highlights cultural significance of Ganga in Bengal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spent time along the banks of the Hooghly River in Kolkata amid the ongoing Assembly elections, highlighting the cultural and spiritual significance of the river in Bengal.
Sharing moments from his visit on X, the Prime Minister described the deep connection between the Ganga and the people of the state.
“For every Bengali, the Ganga occupies a very special place. One can say that the Ganga flows through the soul of Bengal,” PM Modi wrote. He added that he spent time by the river to express gratitude to Maa Ganga.
Interaction with locals, focus on development
During his visit, Modi interacted with boatmen and morning walkers, appreciating their hard work and daily contributions.
Some more glimpses from Kolkata. Indeed a very special morning at the Hooghly river. pic.twitter.com/D8Wwzy3KsX
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 24, 2026
“Also had the opportunity to meet boatmen, whose hardworking nature is admirable and morning walkers. On the Hooghly, reiterated our commitment to work towards the development of West Bengal and the prosperity of the great Bengali people,” he said.
Some more glimpses from Kolkata. Indeed a very special morning at the Hooghly river. pic.twitter.com/D8Wwzy3KsX
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 24, 2026
A ‘very special morning’ on the river
The Prime Minister also shared additional glimpses, mentioning his attempt at photography and close views of key landmarks.
“Some more glimpses from the banks of the Hooghly. Tried my hand at photographing this great river. Also caught a close glimpse of the Vidyasagar Setu and Howrah Bridge,” PM Modi said.
Last evening, was on the Howrah Bridge during the long roadshow from Howrah to Kolkata. And this morning, saw it from the Hooghly river! pic.twitter.com/ri2MA1WbR8
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 24, 2026
Campaign trail continues
The visit comes amid an intense election campaign in West Bengal. Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar, Modi took a swipe at political rivals, saying, “I have heard that even ‘jhalmuri‘ has given certain individuals a thunderous jolt. I had ‘jhalmuri’, but it seems that the TMC leaders are feeling heat of the chillies.”
High turnout in first phase
The first phase of polling for the 294-member Assembly was held on Thursday, with the second phase scheduled for April 29 and counting on May 4.
According to the Election Commission of India, the state recorded a high voter turnout of 91.91% in the first phase, indicating strong participation across districts.
Dakshin Dinajpur recorded the highest turnout at 94.85%, followed by Cooch Behar (94.54%), Birbhum (93.70%), Jalpaiguri (93.23%), and Murshidabad (92.93%), with all major districts crossing the 90% mark.
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