Closures, travel restrictions, and self-isolation measures due to the coronavirus have cleared public squares, roads, and travel destinations across the globe. Photographers have been capturing the eerie stillness of these public spaces, recently emptied of the crowds they were built for.
A high voter turnout was recorded in West Bengal, Assam Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry assembly elections on Tuesday. The massive polling exercise following COVID-19 health protocol and involving lakhs of personnel began at 7 am and the last hour from 6 pm to 7 pm was set aside for COVID-19 patients and those under isolation. The counting of votes in the states will be held on May 2.
More than 750 constituencies spread across four states and one union territory will go to the polls on Tuesday
In what could come as a major disappointment for fans across the globe, awaiting the highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan at the Eden Gardens, the city of Kolkata witnessed rains and drizzle on Saturday morning.
In a new political alignment in poll-bound West Bengal, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday announced the inclusion of newly formed Indian Secular Front (ISF) of Furfura Sharif cleric Abbas Siddiqui in the Left Front-Congress alliance.
Though the BJP is running too close for comfort, populist schemes and support among Muslims may help Mamata Banerjee overcome the challenge, observes Aditi Phadnis.
She, however, survived the jump with a minor head injury and was immediately hospitalised.
The world organisation said UN humanitarians and partners were working hard to assist the people of Bangladesh and India suffering from the impact of the cyclone, which made landfall on Wednesday, wreaking havoc, causing high tidal surges, flooding and embankments to collapse.
'What did we get out of this agitation? Nothing... Now we feel it was all a mistake. We have no work, and our land has turned infertile. We are living in abject poverty'
Police personnel in adequate strength were deployed across the state to maintain law and order, officials said.
Seven persons have died after drinking illicit liquor at Payradanga village in Hooghly district, the police said.
The sprawling warship building facility caters to the combat vessel requirements of not only the Navy, but also the Coast Guard.
Aggrieved by the violence that marked the panchayat poll in West Bengal which claimed at least 12 lives and left 43 injured, several candidates who were in the fray had met the SEC officials and demanded the repolling.
In a virulent attack on the Communist Party of India-Marxist, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Bandopadhyay on Monday threatened to 'break the hands' of the CPI-M cadre if the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was attacked again.
.jpg)
The chief executive officer of a jute mill was beaten to death allegedly by workers on the factory premises after he refused to agree to their demand on wages at Bhadreswar in Hooghly district on Sunday.
After the cartoon controversy in which a Jadavpur university professor was arrested, the West Bengal government has now issued showcause notices to two government college professors for appearing in a television programme where they allegedly made 'anti-government' comments.
Once a reviled practice in the state, both the parties seem to have endorsed a record number of turncoats this time -- triggering a wave of discontentment among their loyalists.
'With sufficient gaps between polling dates, the BJP will have time to convert the 'fence-sitter' votes,' observes Payal Mohanka.
Three men, with their faces covered, came on a motorcycle to her house in Konnanagar Jorapukur Ghat at 9 pm and started hurling bombs. They barged into the house, smashed a windowpane, damaged furniture, and abused and assaulted her, Bhattacharya said in her police complaint. The BJP leader said in her complaint that it was the handiwork of "anti-socials harboured by the TMC".
Dhankhar has often crossed swords with the Trinamool Congress government over a host of issues in the past one year.
Election Commission officials said they have deployed around 680 companies of central police forces and over 20,000 state police personnel in over 53 constituencies of South 24 Parganas, Kolkata South and Hooghly districts going to the hustings on Saturday in the fifth phase of polling.
Jayanta Roy Chowdhury reports on how the West Bengal elections are being fought by the BJP and Trinalool Congress amid COVID challenges, 'Bangaliana', and campaigns based on religion, region, and caste.
Heat wave conditions continued to prevail in the southern districts of West Bengal with 48 persons succumbing to the heat till Wednesday, official reports from the districts said.
Road blockade by the Congress at Bandal in Hooghly district in protest against the murder of a local leader turned violent on Wednesday leading to injury of nine persons including four policemen.
Last year, Ashok Das, a farmer-cum-fisherman from the small industrial town of Rishra in the Hooghly district of West Bengal, had promised his younger son a branded television.
The TMC expects to emerge victorious by way of a majority of minority votes and a minority of majority votes, notes Arun Bhatnagar, a retired IAS officer.
Locket Chatterjee, BJP MP from Hooghly, has threatened that the last rites will be done on the roads if the police don't allow them to move forward.
The combined Left parties drew a blank in the polls to the assembly which they had run with an overwhelming majority for 34 long years, with their vote share dwindling to a mere 5.47 per cent in 2021.
With the two teams arriving in Kolkata in the next 48 hours, all roads in the 'City of Joy' lead to the Eden.
There will be total of 51 seats going to polls spread across 7 states in the fifth phase.
The Tatas have received a setback in the Singur land deal.
Never before in the history of the Republic has an election in the state mattered so much as it does now, observes Virendra Kapoor.
'They have a voracious appetite.' 'But there are many places where they go and they lose.'
Mitra, who had resigned from the BJP a few days ago, is considered close to veteran leader L K Advani.
Polling began on Tuesday morning for the fourth of the six phase West Bengal assembly election across 63 constituencies spread over Howrah, Hooghly, East Midnapur and parts of Burdwan district.
The confessional statement of arrested Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha member Swami Aseemanand has created a stir and for the investigating agencies, who claim that this will help the investigation.
Declining sales and an inability to meet its capacity have hobbled the car maker.
An unspecified number of people were evacuated from coastal areas of Odisha where Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore were likely to experience heavy rainfall accompanied by high-velocity winds, particularly on May 19 and 20, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.
We invited readers to send in their interesting monsoon snapshots. Here is the last set of responses!
On the lookout for a job this summer? Check out these vacancies!
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances