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.
The Sheep Detectives is delightful and wholesome in the way family movies used to be before kids started getting too smart to be easily pleased, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Actor Vijay's political party, TVK, has significantly impacted the Tamil Nadu political landscape in its debut election, challenging established political norms and achieving notable success.
Despite a directive from the Election Commission, no FIR has been filed against TMC MLA Monirul Islam in connection with vandalism at the Farakka Block Development Office in Murshidabad. The delay raises questions about the implementation of the Commission's orders ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
The high-pitched campaign for the first phase of West Bengal assembly elections concluded with the BJP and TMC focusing on electoral rolls and dietary habits, while making promises to voters. Voting is scheduled in 152 constituencies across north Bengal and southern districts, with over 3.60 crore electors eligible to vote. A record number of Central paramilitary forces have been deployed, and several districts have been identified as highly sensitive.
The Supreme Court has permitted the NIA to file its charge sheet upon completion of the investigation into the incident in West Bengal where judicial officers were illegally confined by a mob.
'I desperately needed that job then, and it didn't happen.'
Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer has ordered a thorough verification of nearly 1 million voter deletions following complaints of wrongful removals, particularly concerning deceased voters and those who may have shifted residences.
The extent of doubts over the fairness of this election can be assessed by juxtaposing two figures: Total votes polled by the two principal parties and the number of people who were disallowed from voting this time, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
The Chaurabasti area of Shivpur turned into a flashpoint of political violence on Thursday as supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reportedly engaged in a violent face-off.
West Bengal is on edge as it awaits the results of its recent election, with the TMC and BJP vying for control. The counting process will be conducted under tight security, with the Election Commission implementing stringent measures to ensure a fair and transparent process.
In West Bengal's electoral chessboard, governments are rarely made in the hills of North Bengal or the forested region of Jangalmahal. Power is usually decided in the crowded plains of South Bengal, where elections are won less by momentum and more by mathematics.
The Election Commission has issued a notice to Trinamool Congress MP and actor Deepak Adhikari, popularly known as Dev, to appear for SIR hearing, officials said on Monday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused authorities of deleting names of people from the Matua and minority communities from voter rolls in the state following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of bribing voters and has labelled the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a major scam. She also predicted the BJP government at the Centre would fall in 2026.
An inquiry has been initiated into the death of an anganwadi worker in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, following allegations that work pressure related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) contributed to her death. The investigation was ordered after a video surfaced on social media showing the deceased woman's daughter alleging harassment and undue pressure from officials.
The Supreme Court has transferred the investigation of the Malda incident, involving the gherao and attack on judicial officers, to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), citing concerns about the credibility of West Bengal's bureaucracy.
'The nepotism, corruption, bad governance and 15 years of rampant crime that has happened across West Bengal under her rule led to her ouster.'
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has pledged to resolve the long-standing Gorkha issue within six months if the BJP wins the West Bengal elections. He criticised previous governments for failing to address the aspirations of the Gorkha people and promised a solution acceptable to them.
The first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections was disrupted by EVM glitches and overnight violence in several districts. Polling was halted or delayed at multiple booths due to malfunctioning Electronic Voting Machines. Incidents of violence were reported in Murshidabad and Cooch Behar, with political parties trading accusations.
Admiral Prakash, who has been settled in Goa since his retirement, said SIR forms should be revised if they are not "evoking" the required information.
The BJP achieved a clean sweep in nine districts of West Bengal, securing all 68 seats in these regions during the recent election. This victory marks a significant shift in the state's political landscape, ending the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule and establishing the BJP's dominance.
rediffGURU Jinal Mehta answers readers' financial planning and health insurance queries
The BJP's landslide victory in West Bengal has not merely redrawn the electoral map but overturned the operating logic of politics in the state, breaching the TMC's entrenched fortress despite a decade-and-a-half of dominance, minority consolidation, and a sustained "outsider" narrative.
The Supreme Court declined to initiate an inquiry into alleged voter roll irregularities in West Bengal, stating it would amount to a 'fishing inquiry'. The court's decision came after concerns were raised about the addition of a significant number of voters ahead of the state's Assembly elections.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of striking a Rs 1,000-crore deal to unseat the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from power in the state, alleging bribery, manipulation of electoral rolls, and disrespect towards women by central forces.
The second phase of the Systematic Integration of Rolls (SIR) in West Bengal is causing distress among elderly, disabled, and vulnerable voters, leading to political accusations ahead of the assembly polls.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserts the BJP will form a government in West Bengal and address the issue of infiltration, accusing Mamata Banerjee of allowing it for vote-bank politics.
The BJP is showing strong leads in West Bengal and Assam, while actor Vijay's party is making a significant debut in Tamil Nadu. The Congress is ahead in Kerala, offering some consolation amid the changing political landscape in the state elections.
A 57-year-old man was found dead on Tuesday near Siliguri in West Bengal, with family members alleging that he was under stress over the hearing into special intensive revision (SIR) of voter rolls, the police said.
If West Bengal does not begin to reclaim its lost pride, the state would have lost -- perhaps irreversibly, this time, notes Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
rediffGURU T S Khurana answers readers' personal income tax queries
The government rejected the opposition's demands for discussions on the VB-G RAM G Act and the SIR in the Budget session of Parliament, stating that the issues had already been debated.
A Delhi hospital has successfully performed a bilateral hand transplant on a young mother who lost her hands in an accident, thanks to a brain-dead donor's family consenting to the donation.
The Election Commission removed 6.5 crore electors from the draft electoral rolls of nine states and three Union territories as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The removals are due to voters being absent, shifted, deceased, or duplicates.
The highly-anticipated Drishyam 3 teaser has dropped, promising a gripping continuation of Georgekutty's relentless battle to safeguard his family, with Mohanlal returning to face new, unseen threats.
Glory juggles its whodunit goals and estranged father-son equation across a hoard of suspects and unreliable allies. The upshot is uneven yet watchable because of the talent on board, notes Sukanya Verma.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged the Election Commission to halt the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, citing irregularities and potential disenfranchisement.
The Supreme Court has strongly criticised the West Bengal government's handling of an incident in Malda district where judicial officers were allegedly attacked. The BJP has accused the TMC of orchestrating the event to obstruct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and protect Rohingyas.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has accused the BJP of conspiring to delete 2.7 million voters from West Bengal's electoral rolls, urging support for the Trinamool Congress to protect citizenship rights.
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