On the day the gazette notification for the first phase of the 2026 Assembly Elections was issued, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned TMC’s heavyweight candidate from Rashbehari, Debasish Kumar. The MLA was summoned in connection with an alleged land-grabbing case involving illegal construction in South Kolkata. Kumar reached the ED’s CGO Complex office around noon with a bundle of documents.

Reacting sharply, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh termed it a “political vendetta,” stating that the BJP is misusing central agencies because it fears a massive defeat in the upcoming polls. “The BJP’s direct cadres are not doing politics; instead, the ED and CBI are jumping into the election fray,” Ghosh added. While Debasish Kumar maintained that he is appearing as a law-abiding citizen, the development has provided fresh ammunition to the BJP, which has been campaigning on the plank of “corruption-free Bengal.”