Addressing a rally at Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district on the final day of campaigning for the second and last phase of the assembly elections, Modi sharpened the BJP's pitch against the ruling Trinamool Congress, accusing it of presiding over "syndicate raj", political violence, infiltration and economic decline.

"Wherever I have gone in West Bengal, I have observed the mood of the people. I am returning with the conviction that after May 4, I will have to return to attend the BJP government's swearing-in ceremony," Modi said, drawing cheers.

Invoking the historical significance of Barrackpore, he said the region had played a role in India's first war of Independence in 1857 and was now preparing the ground for change in West Bengal.

Calling the election crucial for the future of eastern India, the prime minister said West Bengal's progress was inseparable from India's rise and that the eastern region must regain its historical strength.

"In the past, when India was prosperous, it had three strong pillars -- Anga, Banga and Kalinga â¿¿ today's Bihar, Bengal and Odisha. When these three pillars weakened, it dealt a blow to India's strength. The nation's rise is incomplete without the rise of the East," he said.