Congress clarifies Kharge’s statement as BJP expands candidate list ahead of West Bengal Assembly elections
April 8, 2026: Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday expressed regret over his “illiterate Gujarat” remark, saying it had been misinterpreted and was not intended to offend anyone. The Congress president clarified that his statement was taken out of context, even as the BJP strongly criticised the comment and accused him of insulting the people of Gujarat.
At the same time, the Bharatiya Janata Party released its sixth list of candidates for the West Bengal Assembly elections, naming Rakesh Singh for the Kolkata Port constituency. Singh was recently granted interim bail by the Calcutta High Court, and with this announcement, the BJP has now declared candidates for 293 out of 294 seats.
The political battle in West Bengal is heating up as campaigning intensifies ahead of the elections. Voting in the state will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with results scheduled to be announced on May 4, setting the stage for a closely contested electoral fight.