Firhad Hakim, Chandrima Bhattacharya to represent TMC during meeting with Election Commission on March 9

The meeting comes during the ongoing visit of the poll panel to review election preparedness in the state ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

According to the TMC, the delegation led by Hakim, who is also the Mayor of Kolkata, along with state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and Rajeev Kumar, will present the party's views during the interaction with the Election Commission officials.

The meeting is scheduled as Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, are on a three-day visit to West Bengal from March 8 to 10 to assess preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections.

The Election Commission team arrived in Kolkata on Sunday and was received amid protests by a group of locals near the airport. Demonstrators gathered outside a private hotel in New Town, wearing posters that read "Go back, Gyanesh Kumar, murderer of democracy." Protesters also showed black flags to the convoy of the Chief Election Commissioner outside the airport.

During their visit, the Election Commission officials are expected to hold meetings with representatives of various political parties, senior administrative officials and police authorities to review election-related arrangements in the state.

The visit comes at a time when political activity in West Bengal has intensified ahead of the Assembly elections expected in the first half of the year. The ruling All India Trinamool Congress is preparing to defend its position in the state while facing a strong challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Earlier, after reviewing election preparedness in Kerala, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar expressed confidence in the readiness of the election machinery, saying that the upcoming Assembly elections there could set a benchmark for democratic practices in the country. (ANI)