Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to Kolkata on April 23 has been cancelled after the local administration allegedly denied permission for the event, Congress sources said on Tuesday. The Congress leader was slated to visit the West Bengal capital to lead the party's election campaign.
The cancellation comes amid a high-octane battle for West Bengal, where the Congress is contesting in an alliance with the Left Front, often finding itself at odds with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Local administration and police acting on behest of govt
The party alleged that the local administration and police acted at the behest of the Mamata Banerjee-led government in denying the required clearances.
According to Congress, the party waited until 6:00 PM for approval. However, as permission was not granted by the local police, it became unfeasible to complete logistical arrangements for the April 23 programme. "A fresh request for administrative permission will be submitted for a revised schedule, likely for either April 25 or 26," the source said.
What did TMC say?
On cancellation and allegations of permission denial, West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja said that applications for public meetings need to be sent through a Suvidha Portal "2-7 days before the public meeting".
"Application for public meetings needs to be sent through Suvidha Portal. Permission is granted through there. It needs to be done 2-7 days before the public meeting. This rule applies to all public meetings. All political parties need to take permission like this. Caretaker Govt in the state cannot answer for the cancellation of his visit, Election Commission can answer that," she said.
West Bengal polls
The polling for the 294-member Assembly in West Bengal will be held in two phases. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4. As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), the first phase covers 152 Assembly constituencies, while the second phase includes 142 seats.
The state is set to witness a high-voltage contest between the incumbent Trinamool Congress, which is seeking a fourth consecutive term, and the BJP, which is aiming to form the government after a strong showing in the previous elections.
In the 2021 Assembly polls, the Congress could not manage to open its account in the seat tally. After a horrendous performance in the last elections, Congress is aiming to turn the contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) into a triangular fight.
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