Fresh off a sweeping victory in the 2026 assembly elections, marked by a historic breakthrough in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday struck an emotive note in his address, invoking both
geography and symbolism.
“Along with Ganga, Brahmaputra has also been kind to me,” the prime minister said as he addressed party workers and supporters at the BJP HQ, expanding on an earlier remark where he had suggested that just as the Ganga flows from Bihar into Bengal, political momentum too would travel eastward.
It is a historic day; it will lead to a better future for India.
The workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party have created history: PM Narendra Modi #BJP #WestBengalLegislativeAssemblyelection2026 #PMModi #tamilnadulegislativeassemblyelection2026 pic.twitter.com/KqVZJYSAP8— News18 (@CNNnews18) May 4, 2026
Back then, after the NDA’s sweeping win in Bihar, PM Modi had drawn a direct parallel: the victory, like the river, would “pave the way” for success in West Bengal. “The river Ganga flows to Bengal via Bihar. And the victory in Bihar, like the river, has paved the way for our victory in Bengal,” PM Modi had said.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept the Bihar election, winning over 202 of the 243 seats, with the BJP emerging as the single-largest party.
Now, with the BJP’s strong showing in Bengal and continued dominance in the Northeast, that metaphor has come full circle.
The addition of the Brahmaputra in his latest speech is significant. If the Ganga symbolised the Hindi heartland’s political backing, the Brahmaputra underscores the party’s consolidation in the Northeast, especially states like Assam, where the BJP has entrenched itself over successive elections.
Together, the two rivers—both of which eventually merge into the same delta system before emptying into the Bay of Bengal—offer a powerful political metaphor: a mandate flowing in from multiple regions, converging into a broader national endorsement.
The prime minister, beginning his speech with chants of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, called it “a very special day” and expressed gratitude to voters across Assam, West Bengal, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. “Win and loss are part of the game. But people of these five states have shown the world why India is the mother of democracy. Today, democracy has won. Today, India’s constitutional bodies have won.”
He added: “Syama Prasad Mookerjee dreamt of a self-reliant Bengal. We had to wait for long. But not anymore. From today, Bengal is fearless. Bengal has changed.”
