PM Modi pauses Mann Ki Baat until after 2019 polls, says he will return in May

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the final Mann Ki Baat radio address of his 2014-2019 government on February 24, telling listeners it would be his last broadcast until the general election was over. In the second edition of the programme in 2019, he said that because he would be contesting the Lok Sabha polls, there would be no Mann Ki Baat in March and April.

Why the break

The Model Code of Conduct was expected to come into force the following month, barring those in office from using government resources for campaigning. Modi said he would return with renewed confidence after the polls, with the blessings of listeners, and that the next broadcast would be on the last Sunday of May. He said he would keep doing Mann Ki Baat for years to come. Before the broadcast, he had tweeted that this edition would be special and urged people to tune in at 11 AM.

Tribute to Pulwama victims

Modi spoke about the Pulwama attack, which killed 40 CRPF jawans, saying people across the country were pained and angry and that there was a wave of support for the families of those killed. He said he bowed to those who had lost their lives for the nation.

He praised Ram Niranjan, father of CRPF jawan Ratan Thakur of Bhagalpur, Bihar, who was killed in the attack, for wanting to send his second son to fight and saying he would go himself if needed.

National War Memorial

The Prime Minister also spoke of the National War Memorial he was due to inaugurate on Monday, honouring soldiers who have died for the country since Independence. He said he had been surprised that India had no such memorial and had decided one should be built, and urged young people to visit it and share photographs on social media to inspire others.

What happened next

The BJP won 303 of 543 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, counted on 23 May, and Modi was sworn in for a second term on 30 May 2019.

See also: Bharatiya Janata Party.

Originally published on 25 February 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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