Just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Vijay Sankalp’ rally at Asansol’s Polo Ground, a massive controversy erupted over the cancellation of 200 buses in the Kulti area. The BJP has accused the ruling TMC of practicing “revenge politics,” alleging that local bus owners were forced to return advance payments and cancel bookings under pressure from the INTTUC (TMC’s labor wing). BJP leader Keshav Poddar claimed that the brother of state minister Moloy Ghatak is behind this intimidation to prevent supporters from reaching the rally.

Dismissing the allegations, TMC labor leader Raju Ahluwalia stated that the decision was voluntary and taken by the bus workers themselves. According to the union, since most workers are affiliated with INTTUC, they refused to display another party’s flag on their vehicles as a matter of principle. The BJP countered that such hostility is unprecedented in Kulti’s political history and is an attempt to stifle democracy. As thousands prepare to head for the PM’s meeting, this transport standoff has intensified the electoral battle in Asansol.