Taherpur rally witnesses unprecedented turnout, reflecting shifting political mood

A particularly striking aspect of the gathering was the strong presence of the Matua community, whose electoral support has traditionally been associated with the BJP. Matuas from Hanskhali and neighbouring areas made their presence felt from the very beginning of the programme, energising the crowd with the beating of traditional drums and chants of “Haribol”, lending a distinct cultural and political resonance to the rally.

Netaji Park in Taherpur, the venue of the meeting, was overflowing with people, while the surrounding streets were also packed with supporters. As Abhishek Banerjee arrived on the stage, the scale of the turnout became even more evident. It was not just Netaji Park but virtually the entire town of Taherpur that appeared to be awash with people, with the crowd reportedly extending well beyond the usual strength of Trinamool Congress workers.

Addressing the gathering from the stage, Debashis Ganguly, president of the Nadia South organisational district of the Trinamool Congress, highlighted the significance of the turnout. “We have set a record for the largest crowd at a public meeting in Taherpur,” he declared, underscoring the party’s confidence and the growing momentum witnessed at the rally.

The event was seen as a significant political moment in Nadia, with the scale of participation and the visible involvement of the Matua community adding to its broader political implications.

One of the most prominent points raised by Adhikari was the financial crisis faced by tea garden workers, particularly in the Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts. According to the opposition leader, workers in several tea gardens across the region have not received their salaries for the past four to five months. The gardens, which include well-known estates such as Madhu, Varnabari, Lankapara, Ramjhor, Chamurchi, Ambari, Devpara, Mogalkata, Red Bank, and Raipur, are either shut down or struggling to stay afloat due to severe financial issues. Adhikari strongly criticised the state’s Labour Department for its failure to address the salary arrears, demanding that the government immediately clear the backlog of unpaid wages.

Further accusing the Trinamool Congress-led government of putting the livelihoods of thousands of workers at risk, Adhikari claimed that the administration’s plan to allow commercial use of 15 to 30 percent of tea garden land would have catastrophic consequences for the tea industry. He warned that this move could undermine the industry’s future and place even more pressure on workers who are already struggling to make ends meet.

Turning his attention to the Forest Rights Act, a law passed in 2006, Adhikari lamented the lack of its implementation in West Bengal. The Act, which was designed to provide land rights and ownership to tea garden workers, has not been enforced in the state, according to the BJP leader. He went so far as to state that the law is effectively ignored in West Bengal, unlike the rest of the country, and that this failure deprives tea garden workers of their rightful land ownership and protections under the law. Adhikari also criticised the prevalent lease and tenancy system, which he claimed strips workers of their fair rights.

The issue of voter list amendments was another key concern raised by Adhikari. He highlighted the risk that many tea garden workers, particularly those in remote areas such as Darjeeling and North Bengal, might be excluded from the voter list due to the lack of essential documentation, such as birth or educational certificates. Citing a written appeal by Darjeeling MP Raju Vishara to the Election Commission, Adhikari called for the documents under the Forest Rights Act to be accepted as valid proof for voter registration to prevent the disenfranchisement of tea garden workers.

While Adhikari expressed support for the SIR process in principle, arguing that it is crucial for maintaining a transparent voter list, he also raised concerns about potential irregularities. He pointed out that between 2014 and 2024, the voter list in the state had increased by approximately 1.24 crore, which, he claimed, suggested a demographic shift. Moreover, he accused the ruling government of attempting to manipulate the voter list by adding fake names through fraudulent means, including the illegal issuance of domicile and birth certificates.

In the same breath, Adhikari also lashed out at the state’s administrative practices, alleging widespread irregularities in high-level appointments. He referred to a letter from the UPSC that highlighted violations of recruitment rules in top administrative appointments. According to Adhikari, the government was appointing junior officers to crucial positions, sidelining experienced officials, and enabling illegal activities by providing administrative protection to those involved.

Concluding the press conference, Adhikari made it clear that the BJP would take legal action if it found evidence of fake or deceased voters being added to the list. He expressed his party’s readiness to approach the Supreme Court if necessary, reaffirming that the issue of tea garden workers and their rights was not a matter of politics, but one of justice and fair treatment. He pledged to continue fighting for the protection of democratic rights and the rightful claims of tea garden workers.

Reports suggest that two locks have been placed on the main gate of the office by rival factions within the party, with neither group willing to back down. The inability to use the office has created operational difficulties for party workers, who are facing increasing hardship in carrying out their duties. Local Trinamool leaders claim that despite numerous attempts to bring the matter to the attention of senior party figures, no action has been taken to resolve the situation.

Purbasthali Uttar Assembly Constituency MLA Tapan Chatterjee and State Minister Swapan Debnath have reportedly been informed about the office’s closure multiple times. However, there has been no solution offered to date. Mrinal Kanti Sarkar, the Dogachia Region Trinamool President, publicly addressed the issue for the first time last Friday. He confirmed that the office had been locked for two and a half years due to factional disputes and expressed frustration at the lack of intervention from the district leadership. Sarkar suggested that only All India Youth Congress President Abhishek Banerjee could mediate and resolve the conflict.

A number of party workers, including booth presidents, have voiced their anger at the current state of affairs. They argue that the internal divisions have rendered the local Trinamool organisation virtually inactive. The situation is further compounded by claims that the conflict has severely hampered the party’s ability to function effectively in the region.

It is important to note that Dogachia Gram Panchayat is currently under the control of the Trinamool Congress, and the party’s victory in the constituency came with a significant majority in recent elections. However, the ongoing factionalism has sparked concerns about the party’s future in the area.

The local BJP leadership has weighed in on the matter, claiming that the conflict between the two Trinamool factions stems from disputes over the distribution of ‘cuts’ from development funds. These allegations point to the possibility of financial motives underlying the rift, further intensifying the political tension.

Abhishek Banerjee, who is expected to visit East Burdwan district in the coming weeks, may soon find himself at the centre of this growing dispute. Sources suggest that a faction of Trinamool workers from Dogachia is preparing to raise the issue of the locked party office during Banerjee’s visit, hoping for a resolution. As the situation unfolds, political circles are closely watching the developments, with both Trinamool and BJP leaders discussing the implications of this internal strife on the party’s influence in the region.

BJP state spokesperson Advocate Debjit Sarkar disclosed that the CAG report was filed in response to two Public Interest Litigations (PILs)—WPA(P) 316 of 2021 and WPA 375 of 2022—and sheds light on the scale of the embezzlement during the 2017 floods. The floods, which affected several blocks in Malda district, caused severe hardship for residents of Harishchandrapur 1 and 2, Ratua 1 and 2, and Chanchal. However, the report alleges that a section of local Trinamool Congress leaders, in collaboration with administration officials, misappropriated the funds that were meant for the relief of these very residents.

According to the CAG’s findings, a staggering amount of relief money was deposited into the bank accounts of 6,965 individuals, some of whom received payments multiple times—ranging from 2 to 42 withdrawals per person. A particularly striking example highlighted by the report was that of a Trinamool party worker from Harishchandrapur-2, who withdrew relief funds 42 times. The District Magistrate’s report, which stated that no pucca houses had been damaged, stands in direct contradiction to the CAG’s findings. The audit claims that approximately 7.5 crore rupees were embezzled under the false pretext of damage to property.

The CAG report further uncovered that 1.11 crore rupees were embezzled in Old Malda block, where there were no beneficiaries listed, and no records of ‘C Form’ documents, which were allegedly lost during office transfers. The report also notes that no police complaints were filed regarding the supposed loss of these documents.

In addition to the widespread fraud, the BJP also raised allegations that 108 influential Trinamool leaders and government officials unlawfully diverted more than 2.5 crore rupees in relief funds designated for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The report highlights that 6,605 individuals who were not on the BPL list were unlawfully given additional relief payments, amounting to a 7.3 percent increase in funds distributed.

Further discrepancies were revealed in the case of 83,874 individuals on the government’s relief list. The CAG found that for about 25,110 people, no inspection of damage had been carried out, yet relief was allocated in their names. Advocate Sarkar emphasized that these findings suggest systemic corruption in the way relief funds were distributed, with neither proper verification nor accountability.

Additionally, the BJP spokesperson pointed out that the state government has failed to submit utilization certificates for substantial amounts of central grants. According to the CAG report, the Panchayat and Rural Development Department still has dues of about 81,839 crore rupees, while the School Education Department owes approximately 36,850 crore rupees in unaccounted funds. These discrepancies, along with the violation of Article 204 of the Constitution—where substantial government expenditure occurred without the approval of the Legislative Assembly—further exacerbate the allegations of financial mismanagement.

Advocate Sarkar claimed that the corruption exposed in the CAG report is not limited to Malda alone, alleging that similar embezzlement occurred during other natural disasters such as Cyclone Amphan and Cyclone Bulbul. The BJP also accused the ruling Trinamool government of orchestrating a “drama” in some cases, where money was refunded after the CAG’s investigation began, using fake applications to cover up the fraud.

In conclusion, the BJP spokesperson stated that the CAG report has shattered the Trinamool Congress’s claims of transparency and integrity. He called for accountability, urging that those responsible for financially harming the state and depriving the common people of their rightful relief should answer to the public. He further declared that the 2026 assembly elections would serve as a decisive democratic battle for the people of Bengal against the alleged corruption, and the BJP is committed to leading this fight for a cleaner, more transparent governance.

Trinamool leader suggests wider conspiracy as inquiry ordered into stadium incident

Referring to what he described as the “strange politics of Bengal”, Ghosh remarked that everything—from religion to sports—is increasingly being drawn into political controversy. He cited the ongoing public discussion over why Kolkata failed to host a warm welcome for football icon Lionel Messi while Hyderabad managed to do so, a comparison that has continued to fuel criticism and questions. At the same time, concerns have been raised over the selective nature of police action following the incident, with questions being asked as to why only one individual, Shatadru, was arrested, while no action was taken against the state’s Sports Minister.

Taking the issue further, Ghosh went beyond the state’s borders and pointed directly at the national capital. He called for an investigation into whether the private organiser of the event had any links with what he termed “conspirators in Delhi” who, he suggested, might have sought to deliberately damage Kolkata’s reputation. He reiterated that, immediately after the incident at Yuva Bharati on Saturday, he had raised concerns about the presence of saffron flags inside the stadium and had strongly criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party in this context.

Following the incident, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the formation of an inquiry committee headed by a retired judge. Referring to this decision, Ghosh said that the Chief Minister had taken all necessary steps and that, in view of the inquiry, he would refrain from making detailed comments on the incident itself. However, he added that it was important for the probe to also examine whether the private organiser had been required to coordinate with BJP-ruled states or any entities linked to the central government in order to conduct the event.

Ghosh went a step further by questioning whether there had been a larger, externally orchestrated conspiracy aimed at maligning Kolkata. He said there was ample scope for investigators to examine whether the organiser maintained any connection with individuals or groups based in Delhi who may have played a role in the controversy.

Meanwhile, sections of the public have reacted critically to Ghosh’s remarks, observing that politics continues to dominate the discourse around the incident. Many citizens have argued that unless the issue is discussed with an open mind and without political overtones, the true root cause of the problem will remain unresolved.