The election schedule announcement has triggered a fierce political debate in Bengal, with Furfura Sharif’s Pirzada Taha Siddiqui launching a blistering attack on TMC MLA Saokat Molla. “If TMC gives a ticket to Saokat Molla, people will cast him out,” Pirzada declared. He alleged that certain MLAs have been using Mamata Banerjee’s name to shield their own corruption, extortion, and harassment of minorities.

Siddiqui emphasized that the public is tired of communal tension and will vote against those who incite conflict. Referring to Saokat Molla, he said, “He has personally hinted that lives may be lost in this election—he is a prime example of the instigators people must be wary of.”

On the government’s recent announcement regarding imam allowances, Siddiqui remarked that it should have been done long ago, as doing it now makes it look like a pre-election tactic. He also expressed strong disapproval of the Election Commission’s historical stance toward the state government. Ultimately, he appealed to both Hindu and Muslim communities to maintain peace, stating, “I do not want any mother to lose her child in political violence.”