Saokat Molla agrees to fight from Bhangar after Abhishek's meeting following violent protests in Canning East

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has finalized its high-stakes decision to shift powerhouse leader Saokat Molla from his stronghold of Canning East to the volatile Bhangar constituency for the 2026 Assembly elections. Despite initial protests from a section of party workers in Canning East, who burnt tires in Jibantala demanding Molla’s return, the decision remained unchanged after a crucial meeting between Molla and Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday.

The party has instead fielded Mohammad Baharul Islam in Canning East, a move that signals a strategic realignment to capture the seat currently held by the Indian Secular Front (ISF). Accepting the shift as a direct mandate from the party leadership, Saokat Molla expressed his confidence in winning Bhangar, a seat won by ISF’s Nawsad Siddique in the previous elections.

Molla claimed that Abhishek Banerjee personally tasked him with this mission to dismantle the ISF's influence in the region. He launched a scathing attack on Siddique, labeling him a "criminal" and accusing him of being involved in serious legal cases, including murder and rape. Molla asserted that the people of Bhangar would choose "development" over the ISF, which he claims has done nothing for the constituency in the last five years.