Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled campaign visit to Kolkata on April 23 has been cancelled after Congress alleged that permission was not granted by local authorities.
Kolkata: West Bengal’s high-stakes election battle is intensifying as campaigning concludes and key political clashes set the stage for decisive polling on April 23.
Congress sources said Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to arrive in Kolkata on April 23 for election campaigning ahead of the West Bengal assembly polls. However, the visit has now been cancelled after the party claimed that administrative permission was not granted in time.
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According to Congress, they waited until 6 pm for clearance, but approval was not received, making it impossible to proceed with event preparations.
Congress alleges political influence
The Congress party has alleged that the local administration, acting under the influence of the Mamata Banerjee-led government, denied permission for the programme.
Party sources said Rahul Gandhi remains willing to visit Kolkata and that a fresh request for permission will be submitted for April 25 or 26.
The development comes as campaigning for the first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections concluded on Tuesday. Voting is scheduled for April 23 across 152 constituencies covering north Bengal and parts of south Bengal.
Issues such as infiltration, development, welfare schemes, and electoral roll revisions dominated the campaign.
Political war intensifies
The BJP and Trinamool Congress traded sharp attacks throughout the campaign, with senior leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressing rallies.
The BJP accused the ruling party of corruption and misgovernance, while the TMC countered with allegations of voter list manipulation and central agency misuse.
Nearly 3.60 crore voters will decide the outcome in the first phase. The Election Commission has deployed large numbers of central forces to ensure smooth polling across sensitive constituencies.
High-profile contests in seats like Nandigram and Siliguri have further intensified the political spotlight.
Published: 21 Apr 2026, 07:50 pm IST
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