BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has written to Mumbai authorities, urging them to stop the offering of namaz on public roads, claiming it causes traffic disruption and inconvenience. Trinamool Congress leader Majeed Memon agreed that namaz on roads should not be allowed due to inconvenience but attributed it to a lack of mosque space.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee has commented on the Supreme Court judgment regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, emphasising its specific application to the Bihar case and highlighting the Election Commission's limited authority in determining citizenship.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, including Babul Supriyo, Rajeev Kumar, Menaka Guruswamy, and Koel Mallick.
A personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was shot dead in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, triggering political tensions and a police investigation.
West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh attended a fish festival, refuting claims that the BJP would restrict fish and meat consumption if it won the assembly elections. He accused former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of spreading false narratives during the campaign.
'When I asked Suvendu about the news that Didi was going to fight in his constituency, he said, 'Aami okhaney lorbo aar okhaney okey harabo (I will contest from there and defeat her there)' This was his comment while we were standing on the truck doing our roadshow.'
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.
The BJP experienced a mixed bag of results in the West Bengal Assembly elections, with several heavyweight candidates securing victories while others faced defeat. Key wins included Dilip Ghosh, Suvendu Adhikari, and others, but some prominent faces failed to win.
A review of the accuracy of various exit polls in predicting the outcomes of recent assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu, highlighting the performance of different pollsters.
'The nepotism, corruption, bad governance and 15 years of rampant crime that has happened across West Bengal under her rule led to her ouster.'
'...appearing culturally coercive or administratively vindictive.' 'If it governs as a conquering force, resistance will build.'
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya has expressed the state government's desire for the Tata Group to return to Singur, viewing it as an economic necessity and a signal that West Bengal is open for business. The move aims to reverse the negative perception created when the Nano project was forced out of the state.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has accused the TMC government of turning Kolkata into a 'city of slums' and using infiltrators as a vote bank, sparking a strong reaction from the TMC, which accused him of insulting the people of Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee, the outgoing Chief Minister of West Bengal, has refused to step down after her party's defeat in the assembly elections, alleging a conspiracy and irregularities in the counting process. She also accused the Election Commission of working in favour of the BJP and announced a fact-finding committee to investigate post-poll violence.
The West Bengal government will resume the rural employment scheme under the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen) Act in all districts of the state, barring Murshidabad and South 24 Parganas, where allegations of irregularities in its implementation are being investigated.
Rahul Gandhi accuses Mamata Banerjee of not directly fighting the BJP, alleging that this indirect approach benefits the ruling party. He also criticised her government's performance on job creation and handling of corruption.
Barricades outside the residence of outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in south Kolkata were partially removed on Tuesday, a day after the Trinamool Congress lost power in the state and she was defeated from the Bhabanipur seat.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is reportedly set to skip the upcoming INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi, signalling a growing rift with the Congress party. This development follows a political realignment in Tamil Nadu where Congress allied with the TVK, leading to the end of its long-standing cooperation with the DMK and a request for separate seating in the Lok Sabha.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai has launched a new political movement focused on 'common man politics,' rejecting personality cults and hereditary power, aiming to position Tamil Nadu as the premier state in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused the Mamata Banerjee government of favouring infiltrators over the native population, asserting that the upcoming assembly election in West Bengal is a battle to save the state's identity.
'People have lost hope of finding justice in this state ... I want to give these victims, their families, the people of this state, a voice.'
Repolling is taking place in 15 booths across two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, following reports of electoral malpractices during the previous phase of voting. The Election Commission ordered the repolls, and voting is being conducted under tight security with webcasting to monitor the proceedings.
Voting has commenced in 142 constituencies for the second and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, with significant security measures in place. The outcome will determine whether the TMC maintains its dominance or if the BJP can gain ground in the state.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that census operations in the state would commence on August 1 and continue until the end of February next year. He criticised the previous government for delaying the process and highlighted the importance of the census for the state.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the state government will introduce a new recruitment policy in the next Budget session to address irregularities and scams that occurred during the previous Trinamool Congress government.
The West Bengal government has mandated the singing of 'Vande Mataram' at assembly prayers in all madrassas with immediate effect. This decision follows a similar directive for all schools in the state and aims to bring uniformity in assembly practices across institutions.
Special police observer Ajay Pal Sharma toured West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district during the second phase of Assembly elections, facing political controversy and allegations of intimidation from TMC leaders.
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.
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of resorting to 'dramabazi' in front of a counting centre. Adhikari claims Banerjee's actions won't change the election outcome and that her exit from power is imminent.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that West Bengal has gained infamy due to recruitment scams during the previous government and that there is a need to improve the state's image.
The electorate did not vote for the BJP as much as they voted against the TMC. This is an important distinction that the new government will ignore at its own peril, points out Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
Tension prevailed in parts of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district after a BJP leader's close aide was shot dead, prompting increased security measures and protests.
The West Bengal government has further scaled down security arrangements for several political leaders, former officials, and other prominent individuals after a review of threat perceptions.
'If the Opposition associates itself too much with the minorities, then it becomes easy for the BJP to get Hindu consolidation votes.'
The Election Commission has ordered a repoll in all 285 polling booths of the Falta assembly constituency in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on May 21, following reports of severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process during the second phase of the assembly elections.
'This is a major rupture in Tamil Nadu's political order.' 'For the Dravidian parties, the message is clear: The old DMK-AIADMK binary is no longer guaranteed a future.'
Suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir, known for building a mosque modelled on the Babri Masjid, has been granted Y-Plus category security cover by the central government following perceived threats to his life.
The mother of Chandranath Rath, who was murdered shortly after the Assembly poll results, is demanding life imprisonment for those responsible, alleging the killing was revenge for Mamata Banerjee's defeat against Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur.
Incidents of violence and vandalism were reported from parts of West Bengal during the early hours of voting in the second phase of the assembly elections on Wednesday, police said. The incidents were reported from multiple locations, including Chapra, Shantipur, Nimtala and Bhangar, they said.
The Bhabanipur assembly segment is Banerjee's political bastion, where she is locked in a prestige battle against Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in what is being seen as a symbolic rematch of Nandigram, where he had defeated her in the 2021 assembly polls.
