Rising Bharat Summit 2026: As elections loom, PM Modi attacks TMC, DMK govts, says 'they don’t care about poor'

Modi targets TMC, DMK before polls

With Assembly elections looming in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a pointed attack on opposition-ruled states, accusing them of stalling key welfare schemes and denying benefits to the poor for political reasons.

At the Rising Bharat Summit 2026, Modi positioned the upcoming polls as a referendum on governance and delivery, directly targeting the governments in both states and alleging that political considerations had obstructed the implementation of flagship central programmes.

Addressing the gathering, he said, “Ayushman Bharat scheme has not been implemented in Bengal till today.” He added, “If the intention had been sincere, this scheme providing free treatment up to ₹5 lakh for the poor would not have been stopped in Bengal.”

The Prime Minister accused the opposition of being indifferent to the needs of vulnerable citizens. “They don’t care about the poor or their poverty,” he said, framing the non-implementation of the health insurance scheme as evidence of misplaced priorities.

Turning to housing, Modi highlighted the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, under which permanent houses are built for economically weaker families. “Under the PM Awas Yojana, permanent houses are being built for the poor across the country,” he said.

Citing Tamil Nadu as an example, he said, “9.5 lakh houses have been allotted to Tamil Nadu poor families but 3 lakh houses not completed because state government not showing inclination towards it.” Concluding the criticism, he said, “Because the intention is not sincere.”

The remarks come as Tamil Nadu, governed by the DMK under Chief Minister M K Stalin, and West Bengal, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, prepare for Assembly elections expected in April–May 2026.

Beyond state-specific criticism, Modi widened his attack to question the broader approach of the opposition. “In democracy, the role of the opposition is not just about blind opposition but about presenting an alternative vision. That is why the enlightened public of the country is teaching a lesson to Congress,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s comments signal that welfare delivery and the alleged obstruction of central schemes will form a key plank of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign narrative in the run-up to the state polls, as it seeks to portray opposition-ruled states as hindering benefits meant for the poor.