BJP branding gets a twist in West Bengal: The poll math behind 'Jai Maa Kali' pitch

In July last year, addressing a rally in Durgapur, PM Modi raised slogans of 'Jai Maa Kali' and 'Jai Maa Durga'.

• PM Modi uses "Jai Maa Kali" to appeal to Bengal voters.
• BJP shifts focus to regional identity and women voters in Bengal.
• Invoking goddesses aims to connect emotionally with women voters.

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Beginning his message with “Jai Maa Kali” instead of the customary “Jai Shri Ram”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently wrote to West Bengal voters urging them to vote for change in the upcoming assembly elections.

“Jai Maa Kali. In just a few months, the fate of Bengal will be decided. It will also determine the course the next generation of West Bengal will take, and that depends on your single decision,” he wrote.

In earlier outreach efforts in other parts of the country, the BJP frequently used slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” — a chant that resonated strongly with supporters but also became politically sensitive in certain contexts. However, the campaign tone for West Bengal appears to lean more heavily on cultural identity and regional symbolism.

Importance of Kali in Bengal

In Hindu tradition, Kali is regarded as the foremost of the Tantric Dasa Mahavidya — the ten manifestations of Shakti. In Bengal, her worship was once largely associated with esoteric and tantric practices, remaining outside the domestic sphere. This changed in the 18th century when Krishnananda Agamavagisha, a tantric saint from Nabadwip, helped reimagine her as a mother and a daughter figure that the households worshipped.

Over time, in Bengal, Kali became a powerful cultural archetype — at once fierce, maternal, and even revolutionary. Her presence runs deep through the region’s spiritual and intellectual history. Her mention has been found in the mystic devotion of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, and even in the literary imagination of Rabindranath Tagore.

Not the first time

This is not the first time PM Modi has invoked Goddess Kali in West Bengal.

In July last year, addressing a rally in Durgapur, he raised slogans of “Jai Maa Kali” and “Jai Maa Durga”.

While Kali exerts a deep, almost mystical hold over Bengal’s imagination, Durga, by contrast.

By adopting these measures, the BJP appears to be seeking to reclaim cultural ground long shaped by regional forces, positioning itself as rooted in Bengal’s own traditions rather than as an external political presence.

Eyeing women voters

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata’s Banerjee’s self-fashioning as a benevolent Didi and her welfare measures have strengthened her women vote bank.

About 2.9 crore women voters cast their ballots in West Bengal in 2021, reflecting an 81.7 % turnout among women. It is said that women were a key factor behind Banerjee winning for the third consecutive time.

In the 2016 assembly election, 52% of her party Trinamool Congress votes is believed to have come from women.

However, this is the first state election following incidents of atrocities against women such as RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder and Durgapur Medical College gang-rape case.

By invoking the goddesses, the BJP appears to be aiming not only to connect with women voters emotionally, but it is projecting itself as a supporter of women’s aspirations for justice.

The BJP’s central pitch for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls is expected to revolve around a message for women: “If you want to live safely, vote for the BJP; if you want to live with dignity, vote for the BJP.”

According to the latest Election Commission data, the state has 3,76,00,611 female voters and 3,87,93,743 male voters, reflecting a gap of 11,93,132 electors.