As voting took place in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again drew nationwide attention through a series of carefully timed public appearances that blended cultural symbolism with political messaging. On the eve of polling, he was seen playing football in Sikkim, and on the day of voting, he inaugurated the Ganga Expressway in Hardoi. These actions reflect a recurring pattern in his campaign approach, where the 48-hour silence period before elections is used not for inactivity but for indirect communication that resonates with voters.
Following his election rallies in West Bengal, Modi’s visit to Sikkim featured a football session with children on a green field during the early morning hours. He engaged actively, interacting with the children, exchanging high-fives, and even scoring a goal. These visuals, widely circulated, carried deeper cultural relevance, particularly in West Bengal, where football is more than a sport and forms a significant part of regional identity. While the activity appeared informal, its timing and imagery aligned with a broader effort to maintain visibility and connect emotionally with voters without direct campaigning.
On the day of polling, Modi inaugurated the Ganga Expressway in Hardoi, placing emphasis on a project whose name itself carries symbolic importance. The Ganga river holds deep cultural, spiritual, and emotional value across India, especially in Bengal. The Hooghly river, a major distributary of the Ganga, is central to Bengal’s agricultural life and cultural traditions, and events such as the Gangasagar Mela reinforce its significance. The association of the expressway with the Ganga subtly extended the messaging beyond Uttar Pradesh, potentially resonating with voters in Bengal, including those in places like Howrah.
In contrast, Rahul Gandhi, a leading opposition figure, was present in Great Nicobar Island during the same period, where he criticised a major infrastructure project, describing it as a large-scale scam. The difference in location and messaging highlighted contrasting campaign strategies, with Modi focusing on symbolic outreach and Gandhi addressing policy concerns from a geographically distant region.
This pattern of activity during the silence period has been consistent across multiple elections. During the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, on the first day of polling, Modi visited Orakandi, the birthplace of Harichand Thakur. The visit held particular significance for the Matua community, an influential voter group in West Bengal, and demonstrated how cultural and religious connections can be leveraged during critical electoral moments.
Similarly, on February 5 during polling in Delhi, Modi participated in rituals at the Sangam during the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. Wearing traditional attire, including rudraksha beads, he took a ceremonial dip in the Ganga. Opposition parties argued that such actions were intended to influence voters through religious symbolism, particularly in an election where identity-based narratives were already present.
Another example occurred during the Jharkhand Assembly elections in 2024, when Modi visited Guyana. The visit drew attention because of the historical migration of Bhojpuri-speaking people from regions like Bihar and Jharkhand to Guyana during colonial times. A significant portion of Guyana’s population has Indian roots, and this connection subtly reflected shared heritage with voters back home.
During the same election cycle, Modi was also in Bihar inaugurating an AIIMS facility on a polling day, while in 2022, during the Manipur Assembly elections, he addressed a post-budget conference in Guwahati through videoconferencing, outlining development plans for the northeast region.
One of the most prominent symbolic moments came in 2024 when Modi undertook a 45-hour meditation retreat at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial. This site is historically associated with Swami Vivekananda, who is believed to have meditated there before shaping his vision for modern India. The timing of the retreat, just days before the declaration of general election results, projected an image of reflection and long-term vision following an intense political campaign.
Across elections, a clear pattern emerges in which Modi uses the silence period not as a pause but as a strategic phase to communicate through imagery, symbolism, and location. These actions often align with cultural, religious, or regional sentiments, allowing indirect messaging to continue even when formal campaigning is restricted. The approach transforms the mandated silence into a period of subtle but impactful outreach, reinforcing his presence in the public narrative.
