For over a decade, the TMC's dominance in districts such as Murshidabad, Malda and Uttar Dinajpur rested on a near-complete consolidation of Muslim votes, a bloc that accounts for 50 per cent or more of the population in large parts of this belt.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced six guarantees for West Bengal if the BJP wins the Assembly polls, promising to end the 'reign of fear' and address corruption, while criticising the TMC government's performance.
'Among the leaders whose names are going around, V D Satheesan is the leader who will fit this kind of situation.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, accusing it of misrule and hindering the state's progress. He appealed to voters to remove the TMC from power in the upcoming assembly elections, promising development and a corruption-free government under the BJP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, citing misrule and corruption, and urged voters to elect the BJP for development and progress.
Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh has petitioned the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking the restoration of his security cover after it was withdrawn following his defection from AAP to BJP. Singh cites a mob attack on his residence and potential threats as reasons for the plea.
Punjab's AAP leader Baltej Pannu has criticised the central government's changes to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) appointment rules, claiming it's an attempt to control the state's river waters.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Punjab government to ensure the safety of Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh and his family, following his defection from AAP to BJP and subsequent protests outside his residence.
Jammu and Kashmir Sports Minister Satish Sharma has alleged that the drug menace in the region is sustained by political and police patronage, calling for accountability and stronger enforcement.
This election is different. It is no longer simply about governance or welfare. It is about identity, fear, and who belongs. The BJP has successfully shifted the terms of the debate from what the government has delivered to who the real Bengali is and who is an outsider, points out Ramesh Menon.
West Bengal's final phase of assembly elections focuses on the TMC's southern stronghold, where the BJP aims to make inroads. The outcome will determine whether Mamata Banerjee's party retains its dominance or if the BJP can secure a path to power.
'At the first sign of real trouble, that money will move. There will be a run.'
'If a parent was diagnosed at 50, the child should start screenings 5 to 10 years earlier (around 35 to 40).' 'Awareness of family history and age of onset helps catch the disease early.'
As Vijay is set to lead Tamil Nadu after a historic electoral win, we take a look back at films that built his mass appeal while affirming how cinema shaped his larger-than-life public persona.
'It was diminishing even before Trump came to power.' 'The US was at the centre of the global economy. That position is going to become less and less important and less central.'
Opposition MPs, led by Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, have written to Home Minister Amit Shah expressing concerns over alleged threats to Muslims in Uttam Nagar, urging him to direct the Delhi Police to take decisive action against those spreading hate and creating an atmosphere of fear.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused opposition parties of obstructing the passage of the women's reservation bill in Parliament, alleging they have crushed the dreams of women and prioritised selfish politics over national progress.
'A genuine tribute to Dr Ambedkar does not lie in selective invocation. It lies in asking a harder question: Is the Constitution still doing its job -- restraining even assertive majorities?' asks Manoj Mohanka.
The three principles he taught in particular -- Ahimsa, Anekantavada and Aparigraha -- are as alive and necessary today as they were then. Perhaps more so.
New research from NYU suggests that worrying about aging, particularly fears about declining health, may accelerate biological aging at the cellular level in women.
The Olympic freestyle skiers and snowboarders who flip, spin and twist high above the Alps might look fearless, but they say the reality is very different. Fear is part of the job, and they feel it every day.
'Nepal today is far more aware, self-confident, aspirational, and assertive.' 'India's policy so far has not been geared to this shift. It is time to redraw our Nepal strategy.'
West Asia conflict triggers sharp sell-off in Indian markets, with realty, banking and auto stocks leading losses amid energy shock fears.
'All terrorists are a blot on humanity.' 'No religion in the world teaches you to take the life of an innocent person.' 'Kashmiris have always been known for their hospitality. One moment of darkness cannot erase Kashmiriyat.'
'Secularism or social development or social justice is no longer part of development, according to the youth in Kerala.' 'They are concerned about material wellbeing and material welfare, and they believe that Narendra Modi is capable to giving them that kind of development.' 'So, they don't have any ideological hesitation in voting for him.'
The Drama is what you can call a 'feel-bad' romance done right, notes Sreeju Sudhakaran.
The construction of a Babri Masjid-style mosque in West Bengal's Murshidabad district has become a focal point in the upcoming elections, reshaping voter loyalties and raising communal tensions.
Both sides have now revealed a preference for escalation over strategic defeat, and each new provocation narrows the space for the next pause. The Touska seizure, Iran's refusal to negotiate under blockade, Israel's strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure -- all of these add up to an increasingly untenable situation. This makes the wild card -- Trump and his motormouth -- more consequential than ever, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Trump has made it clear: the US will not lift its blockade of Iranian ports until a deal is signed.
Israel wishes to continue its bombing campaign until Iran's military and industrial infrastructure are degraded to a point where it ceases to pose a threat to Israel. Iran, for its part, has learnt from its experience in the 12-day war of last June. Any ceasefire, it believes, will only be a prelude to another attack on itself. It is determined to convey that any attack on Iran will impose heavy costs on Israel, the US, America's allies in the Gulf -- and on the world at large, points out T T Ram Mohan.
The Supreme Court has expressed serious concern over the 'hostage' situation involving seven judicial officials in West Bengal's Malda district, demanding explanations from state officials and authorising the Election Commission to seek a CBI or NIA probe.
'We were in a heavily nuclearised environment. China had tested for Pakistan in the 1980s and helped their missile programme stay just one step behind us.'
Indian chess grandmaster Koneru Humpy defends her decision to withdraw from the Candidates tournament in Cyprus due to safety concerns amid regional tensions, stating that playing peacefully is impossible when surrounded by warships.
The upcoming publication of West Bengal's electoral rolls is expected to intensify political tensions and debates ahead of the Assembly elections, reflecting concerns about voter inclusion and identity.
'You are scared about the next film: 'Will it work? Will it be as good as my previous film?' Deep inside, I think everybody is scared.'
The BJP has criticised the Congress party for allegedly prioritising its vote bank and outdated ideologies over India's national interest and citizen safety in its foreign policy approach towards Iran.
'To suddenly give the impression of taking a position that is hostile to Iran, or, at least, not friendly to Iran, is not a good thing.'
As days turn into weeks and America loses more planes, as the destruction of trillions of dollars worth military assets piles up, and dead bodies of soldiers return in ever greater numbers in coffins, Trump will have to answer some very difficult questions to save his presidency, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The United States, which entered this war in expectation of a short, sharp win along the Venezuela model, is now preparing for deeper involvement in a conflict it does not fully control, without the allies it typically relies on, against an adversary that is not behaving as expected, in a global environment that is already absorbing economic shock. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
On the 95th anniversary of Bhagat Singh's martyrdom, Utkarsh Mishra revisits the ideas and philosophy of the revolutionary giant.
