As West Bengal gears up for the crucial second phase of assembly polls, senior Congress leaders Pramod Tiwari and Akhilesh Prasad Singh made headlines on Saturday by proclaiming their party’s kingmaker status in the state’s government formation. Contesting solo for the first time in 20 years, Congress is carving out space as the emerging third force amid the TMC-BJP duopoly.
In Kolkata, Tiwari lambasted the major parties for their divisive tactics. ‘Congress is the third power here, and we will be decisive in the days ahead,’ he asserted. Reflecting on Bengal’s storied political legacy—from cultural renaissance to freedom struggles—he positioned the grand old party as its true heir.
The Rajya Sabha MP didn’t spare the Centre, questioning Home Minister Amit Shah on security failures in national capital Delhi, under direct Union control. ‘If they can’t secure Delhi, what about Bengal?’ Tiwari asked. He accused TMC of patronizing syndicates, graft, and poll violence, while branding both TMC and BJP as agents of polarization.
Singh reinforced the narrative, warning, ‘Without Congress, no stable government in Bengal.’ He painted a grim picture of the state’s crumbling infrastructure in key sectors like education, healthcare, and manufacturing, blaming years of mismanagement.
The timing is impeccable, coinciding with Rahul Gandhi’s intensive campaign schedule. Gandhi kicks off in Serampore, Hooghly, rallying with state chief Subhankar Sarkar and candidates. He then helicopers to Shaheed Minar in Kolkata, before wrapping up in Metiabruz, Kolkata Port constituency.
Polling resumes April 29 for 142 seats, with counting on May 4. Congress’s aggressive solo campaign signals a potential shift, challenging the established order and injecting fresh uncertainty into Bengal’s electoral calculus.
