TMC candidate’s visit to BJP rival’s house in Bhangar triggers speculations
The Statesman | 15 April 2026
In a surprising turn of events ahead of polls, Trinamul Congress (TMC) candidate Saokat Molla’s visit to the residence of BJP nominee Jayanta Gayen in Bhangar on Tuesday morning has sparked a political controversy, with Opposition parties alleging a “tacit understanding” between the two rivals.
According to local sources, Molla arrived at Gayen’s house early in the day and held a closed-door discussion with him for a considerable period. The visit drew further attention when Gayen’s mother was seen blessing the TMC candidate, a moment that was captured on camera and quickly went viral on social media. The development comes at a time when the political atmosphere in West Bengal remains sharply polarised, with the TMC and BJP leadership engaged in intense verbal exchanges.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah have been consistently targeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, while the latter have mounted strong counterattacks. Against this backdrop, the Bhangar episode has provided ammunition to opposition parties such as the CPI-M and the Indian Secular Front (ISF), both of which have accused the TMC and BJP of maintaining a covert understanding at the grassroots level. Leaders of the CPI-M and ISF claimed that Molla and Gayen share long standing personal ties. They further alleged that Gayen’s brother is a TMC booth president and his sister serves as a panchayat pradhan, raising questions over his political positioning. The Opposition also pointed out that the BJP candidate has so far maintained a low-profile campaign and has refrained from criticising the TMC publicly.
“These developments reinforce our suspicion of a setting between the two parties,” an ISF leader said, adding that similar concerns had been raised earlier as well. Molla however dismissed the allegations. Defending his visit, he said that Gayen’s mother is associated with the TMC as a women leader, and therefore there was nothing unusual in his going to her house. “We will die but never enter into any understanding with the BJP. This is not our culture,” Molla asserted.
He instead accused ISF leaders Naushad Siddiqui and Abbas Siddiqui, along with former Trinamul Congress leader Humayun Kabir, of having links with the BJP ~ an allegation that is likely to further intensify the political slugfest in the state. As campaigning gathers momentum, the incident has added a fresh layer of intrigue to the electoral battle in Bhangar.