"Election Commission can answer that:" TMC's Shashi Panja on Rahul Gandhi's cancelled Kolkata visit

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 21 : Amid allegations of permission denial for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to Kolkata on April 23, West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja on Tuesday stated that all political parties must follow due procedure for obtaining permission for public meetings.

Speaking to the media, Panja said that the request for public meetings needs to be put up on the Suvidha Portal before 2-7 days.

"Application for public meetings needs to be sent through the 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," she said.

The TMC leader asserted that the Election Commission should answer this rather than the ruling Trinamool Congress' government in West Bengal.

"Caretaker Govt in the state cannot answer for the cancellation of his visit, Election Commission can answer that," Shashi Panja said.

Rahul Gandhi was slated to arrive in the West Bengal capital on April 23 to lead the party's election campaign.

The Congress party has alleged that the local administration and the police, acting at the "behest of the Mamata Banerjee-led government," denied the necessary permissions for the visit.

According to the Congress, they waited until 6:00 PM for the administrative clearance. Since no permission was granted by the local police, it is no longer possible to complete the logistical preparations required for the event on April 23.

"A fresh request for administrative permission will be submitted for a revised schedule, likely for either April 25 or 26," the source said.

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.

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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