Before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed rally in Asansol, West Bengal, on Thursday, political tension has escalated in the state. A round of accusations and counter-accusations between BJP and Trinamool Congress has intensified before the rally, making the election atmosphere more tense.
‘Bus owners forced to cancel bookings’
BJP, through Keshav Poddar, General Secretary of West Bardhaman district, alleged that approximately 200 buses booked from the Kulti assembly constituency to attend the rally were canceled under pressure from the Trinamool Congress. Poddar also stated that bus owners were not only forced to cancel bookings but also had to return the advance amount they had received.
‘Level of political rivalry is declining’
Keshav Poddar stated that such “politics of vendetta” had never been witnessed before in the Kulti assembly constituency. He said that over the past 15 years, the people of this region had elected various MLAs—Manik Babu, Ujjwal Babu, and currently Dr. Ajay Poddar—but such incidents had never occurred. According to him, as elections approach, the level of political rivalry is continuously declining.
Allegation of threatening bus owners with financial loss
According to the BJP, some labor organizations associated with the Trinamool Congress threatened bus owners that if they provided their buses to transport BJP supporters to the Prime Minister’s rally, their vehicles would be stopped, and they would suffer financial losses. Keshav Poddar termed this as “hooliganism” and stated that such actions are unacceptable in a democracy. He emphasized, “This is not just a case of bus cancellations, but an attempt to suppress people’s democratic rights. But the people of Kulti will surely respond to this threat.”
TMC’s Response
In response to BJP’s allegations, the Trinamool Congress completely retaliated. Party labor leader Raju Ahluwalia said that these allegations are baseless and politically motivated. According to him, most of the buses BJP is talking about are under the control of Trinamool-affiliated workers and unions. Ahluwalia clarified, “If a bus is driven by a Trinamool-affiliated worker, they cannot be forced to attend a rally of another party. This is their individual decision, and there is no case of coercion or threat involved.”
