In a surprising turn amid West Bengal’s high-stakes assembly polls, Congress parliamentarian Tariq Anwar has publicly acknowledged a pro-Mamata Banerjee wave sweeping the state. Contesting independently on 294 seats, Congress faces an uphill battle, yet Anwar’s assessment paints a picture of TMC dominance.
Chatting with IANS just before Thursday’s voting in the first phase covering 152 constituencies, Anwar described electric voter participation. Women, he said, are leading the charge at polling stations. ‘Expect 80% polling by dusk,’ he forecasted, before adding the kicker: ‘Sentiment clearly favors Mamata Banerjee.’
The MP’s forthrightness bucks party lines, especially as leader Mallikarjun Kharge grapples with an Election Commission summons. Anwar trusts the party will respond adequately, referencing Kharge’s prompt clarification against central probes by ED, CBI, and others aimed at scaring opponents.
Akhilesh Prasad Singh, another Congress voice, predicts BJP’s rout. ‘We’re set for better results than before,’ he said, explaining public frustration with the ruling dispensation but crediting TMC for capitalizing against BJP.
On Bihar’s floor test drama, Singh waved it off as procedural, with JD(U)-BJP ties guaranteeing success for Samrat Choudhary.
Ajay Kumar Lallu rallied behind voters in Bengal and Tamil Nadu, hailing their democratic exercise. He branded Congress as the antidote to BJP’s authoritarianism, which he claims erodes rights of the young, farmers, and marginalized. Lallu warned of BJP’s tactics on women’s quotas, urging electoral retribution.
Anwar’s candid take underscores Congress’s precarious position in Bengal, where TMC’s grip appears unyielding despite multi-party fray. With phases ahead, these pronouncements could ripple through campaign narratives, forcing strategic recalibrations.
