The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has served notices to Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee over several properties reportedly owned or co-owned by him, triggering a sharp political exchange between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC). The notices, issued under Section 400(1) of the KMC Act 1980, give property owners an opportunity to appear before civic authorities and present their case regarding allegedly illegal constructions.

Properties Under the KMC Scanner

Two residences linked to the Diamond Harbour MP are under scrutiny: one at 188A Harish Mukherjee Road and another at 121 Kalighat Road, Kolkata. Copies of the notices have been pasted on the walls of the concerned properties.

For the Harish Mukherjee Road property, the notice was served to a corporate entity, Leaps & Bounds Private Limited, reportedly owned by the Banerjee family. For the Kalighat Road property, the notice was addressed to Abhishek Banerjee's mother, Lata Banerjee. Notably, the KMC is still headed by four-time TMC legislator Firhad Hakim as Mayor — making the civic body's action against a senior party colleague a significant development.

What the BJP Said

BJP leader Debjit Sarkar defended the notices, asserting that the law must apply equally to all. 'He made those properties by exploiting the people of West Bengal so justice should be served. This is the demand of the people here,' he alleged.

Union Minister of State and BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar said the political change in West Bengal following recent elections would ensure legal accountability. 'The government has changed in West Bengal post the elections. Now everything will happen legally,' Majumdar told reporters. On whether he himself had received any notices, Majumdar added: 'Notice is issued against the owner of properties. I am not the owner so I won't receive any notices, right?'

Congress Calls It 'Vindictive Politics'

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant pushed back sharply, characterising the KMC action as politically motivated. 'Their 'Bulldozer raj' either works on minorities or on the Opposition. It is their mindset,' Sawant said, accusing the BJP of using civic institutions to target political rivals.

Background and What It Means

The notices come amid a broader shift in West Bengal's political landscape following the state elections. The action against Abhishek Banerjee — widely seen as the second-most powerful figure in the TMC — is being closely watched as a signal of how civic and state institutions may be wielded in the post-election environment. This is not the first time Banerjee has faced legal scrutiny; he has previously been questioned in connection with multiple central agency investigations. The latest KMC notices add a local civic dimension to what has been a sustained pattern of institutional pressure on the TMC leadership. Whether the notices lead to demolition orders or are resolved through hearings will be a key indicator of how far the new political order in the state intends to press its advantage.