West Bengal Congress leaders will meet party leadership in Delhi on Jan 17 to discuss poll strategy for the 2026 Assembly elections. State president Subhankar Sarkar has accused the BJP of misusing the ED for political gains ahead of the polls.
A meeting between the Congress leadership and West Bengal Congress leaders will be held in Delhi on January 17. Their discussions will centre around election preparations and alliances in the state.
Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026, West Bengal Congress leaders are set to meet party leaders in the national capital on Saturday to discuss the preparations and alliances in the poll-bound state.
Following this, a screening committee meeting will be held in Kolkata on January 18.
WB Congress President Alleges Misuse of ED by BJP
Meanwhile, West Bengal Congress President Subhankar Sarkar on Thursday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is misusing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials for political purposes, claiming that the raids at the I-PAC office in Kolkata were deliberately carried out ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Reacting to the searches, Sarkar said I-PAC has been working in West Bengal for nearly a decade and questioned the timing of the ED action. "IPAC has been working in Bengal for 10 years. What is the reason for the ED raids just before the elections? So many cases are pending. ED can go there. There is no issue with it. But today, the BJP is misusing ED people," he said to ANI.
Sarkar Questions Mamata Banerjee's Presence During Raid
He also questioned Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's presence at the I-PAC office during the raids, asking, "Why did the Chief Minister go there? ED raids happen in many places, but Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee does not go everywhere. So why did she go there, and that too with the Police Commissioner?"
Sarkar further alleged that central agencies were being selectively used for political purposes. "After raids, many people flock to join, and cases against them close. Why is the CM going there? TMC and BJP wanted to do binary politics in the state," he added.
The remarks come amid political drama in West Bengal after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the offices of the political consultancy firm I-PAC on Thursday, even as the ED was conducting searches in connection with the coal smuggling case. (ANI)
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