Congress workers block Ex-TMC Councilor Rehana Khatun from joining party at Bidhan Bhavan

High political drama and chaotic scuffles broke out at Bidhan Bhavan, the state Congress headquarters in Moulali, on Friday afternoon when grassroots workers vehemently opposed the induction of former Trinamool Congress (TMC) councilor Rehana Khatun. Khatun, who represents Ward 44 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, had severed her ties with the TMC following the recent political transition in West Bengal and intended to formally join the Congress. Accompanied by a large contingent of her followers, she arrived at the party office to complete the joining formalities, which triggered an immediate and aggressive backlash from a faction of local Congress workers.

The protesting Congress activists blocked the entrance of Bidhan Bhavan, raising slogans demanding that the former TMC councilor be barred from joining the organization under any circumstances. The agitation quickly escalated into verbal arguments and physical scuffles between the old-guard Congress workers and Khatun’s arriving loyalists. While several senior Congress leaders stationed themselves at the doors to physically shield the office and maintain order, the demonstrators demanded that Khatun, who was already inside the building at the time, be ordered out of the premises immediately.

According to the protesting workers, their resistance stems from serious grievances regarding Khatun's track record during the Trinamool regime, including her alleged involvement in multiple corruption cases. Furthermore, the workers pointed out that local Congress members in her municipal ward had faced repeated political attacks under her tenure, making her entry into the party completely unacceptable to the grassroots base. Although the senior leadership engaged in phased negotiations throughout the afternoon to pacify the agitating party members, the demonstration left the surrounding area highly tense.