Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brian has publicly challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “resign as PM on May 4” if his party wins the West Bengal Assembly election, after the state recorded a record‑high voter turnout of 92.72% in Phase 1 of the polls.
What the challenge says
- In a post on X (formerly Twitter), O’Brian wrote:
“Narendra, you announced that you were the candidate in all 294 seats in Bengal. Cut the big talk. On 4 May after Mamata Banerjee and TMC win Bengal, accept the challenge: RESIGN AS PM.” - The post plays on Modi’s highly personalised campaign in Bengal, where he has called himself the party’s candidate in every seat, and turns it into a political dare linked to the election verdict on May 4, when all state‑election results (including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu) will be declared.
Why Bengal’s turnout matters here
- The EC‑declared 92.72% turnout in Bengal’s 152‑seat Phase 1 is the highest in the state’s history since Independence, surpassing the earlier record of about 84.7% in 2011.
- TMC is using that turnout as symbolic evidence of popular support for Mamata Banerjee’s leadership, while the BJP aims to break TMC’s hold in a state it has never governed.
O’Brian’s remark is largely rhetorical and confrontational, meant to underline the high stakes in Bengal and paint Modi’s involvement as an over‑reach that should carry consequences if the voters reject the BJP–TMC contest in favour of TMC.
