Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission in Howrah, West Bengal, on Thursday. The spiritual organization was established by Swami Vivekananda, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
During his visit, the Prime Minister drew attention to Bengal’s rich spiritual and cultural traditions, including reverence for Maa Kali and the Durga Puja festival, emphasizing themes of strength, service and transformation. He also invoked the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, focusing on youth empowerment, nation-building and spiritual nationalism.
PM Modi underlined his long-standing association with the Ramakrishna Mission and its ideology, particularly within the political context of West Bengal.
The visit occurred amid polling for Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections. By 5 PM, the state recorded a notable 89.93% voter turnout, with several districts surpassing 90%. Dakshin Dinajpur led at 93.12%, followed by Cooch Behar at 92.07%, Birbhum at 91.55%, Murshidabad at 91.36%, and Jalpaiguri at 91.20%. Jhargram (90.53%) and Paschim Medinipur (90.70%) also exceeded 90%, while Bankura and Malda recorded 89.91% and 89.56%, respectively. Although Darjeeling’s turnout was comparatively lower, it remained strong at 86.49%.
These figures demonstrate an overwhelming voter participation across West Bengal’s districts, sustaining the state’s consistent pattern of high electoral engagement.
West Bengal features contests for 294 Assembly seats. According to the Election Commission of India, Phase 1 covers 152 Assembly constituencies, while Phase 2 includes 142 seats. A total of 1,478 candidates are competing in this phase. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeks a fourth consecutive term, while the Bharatiya Janata Party, which won 77 seats in the previous election, aims to form the government in the state.
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