West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee will hold a virtual meeting with TMC counting agents to prepare for the vote counting of the assembly elections.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee is urging voters in Murshidabad to support the TMC to thwart the BJP's influence in West Bengal. He criticised the Congress and other parties, accusing them of indirectly supporting the BJP, and highlighted the TMC's commitment to protecting minority voters and preventing the implementation of NRC in Bengal.
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.
Voting has commenced for the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, with over 3.60 crore electors eligible to vote in 152 constituencies in Bengal and 5.73 crore voters in Tamil Nadu. Security measures are heightened to ensure free and fair polling.
The Election Commission has issued a stern notice to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'terrorist'. Kharge has been asked to explain his remarks within 24 hours.
Supporters of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) and the ruling TMC clashed in West Bengal's Murshidabad district during the first phase of the state assembly polls, leading to police intervention and heightened security measures.
A BJP and a Trinamool Congress worker were killed in separate incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal on Tuesday, police said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the TMC's governance in West Bengal is nearing its end, citing corruption and unfulfilled promises. He highlighted the BJP's commitment to development and security, particularly for the fisherfolk and against infiltration.
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.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur believes PM Modi's purchase of 'jhalmuri' in Jhargram will influence the West Bengal Assembly polls, contrasting it with CM Mamata Banerjee's actions. He also criticised the TMC government for blocking central schemes and failing to ensure women's safety.
'In West Bengal, the BJP's ideology of Hindutva will be customised to cater to the culture and the cultural imperatives of Bengalis.'
'She was not a yes person. She would tell the truth and her feelings to Indira Gandhi, and Indira Gandhi would value her opinion. The same was the case with Rajiv Gandhi who would value her opinion.'
BJP's Panihati candidate Ratna Debnath faced protests by TMC workers when she visited a booth in the assembly constituency in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district where polling was underway. She also accused the ruling party activists of preventing her from leaving the booth premises, following an altercation with them over an allegation of influencing voters.
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.
By asking Vijay to produce letters of majority support before inviting him to form the government, the governor risks overstepping established Constitutional principles, notes Harishchandra.
The AAP government in Punjab successfully moved a Confidence Motion in the state assembly, following the defection of seven Rajya Sabha MPs to the BJP. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asserted the party's strength and national presence during the special session.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misleading the nation regarding the women's quota bill and plotting to push through the delimitation exercise by using women as a shield.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee criticised the BJP over the proposed Uniform Civil Code and the delay in recognising the Kurmali language, accusing the party of dividing people and making false promises.
'Vijay did not defeat Dravidian politics from outside. He entered the Dravidian field and claimed ownership of it. 'His argument was not that the room should be destroyed. It was that the present occupants no longer deserved to remain in it.'
A 13-year-old rape survivor in Palghar district was visited by an official, sparking outrage and calls for stricter laws and swift justice in the case.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has surged past the halfway mark in the West Bengal assembly elections, leading in 185 seats against the Trinamool Congress's 91, signalling a potential political shift in the state. Early trends suggest a geographically split mandate, with the BJP gaining in border, tribal, and industrial regions, while the TMC holds ground in parts of Kolkata and select rural strongholds.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticised the deployment of CRPF armoured vehicles during the Assembly elections, accusing the BJP-led Centre of using government resources to favour their party. She also addressed concerns of potato farmers and urged them to sell their produce in other states.
A BJP government in Bengal inherits more problems than it might care to admit at its moment of triumph, points out Ramesh Menon
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.
TMC workers allege that cars bearing the BJP's flag were allowed entry to the compound where EVMs are kept, a day ahead of the counting of votes in West Bengal. The Election Commission has denied any irregularities.
Sporadic incidents of violence were reported in Howrah and Haroa areas of West Bengal in the run-up to the second phase of polling. Clashes broke out between Trinamool Congress and BJP supporters in Howrah, while a police sub-inspector was injured in Haroa during a clash between TMC and ISF supporters.
The Allahabad High Court has directed the registration of an FIR against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi concerning allegations of dual citizenship, potentially escalating the legal scrutiny surrounding the opposition leader.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda launched a scathing attack on the TMC in West Bengal, accusing it of appeasement politics, shielding infiltrators, and presiding over a corrupt and lawless regime.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday slammed the Congress and DMK over the defeat of the amendment bill regarding the Women's Reservation Act in Parliament but said the government was determined to implement it and that "no power in the world can stop us," from doing so.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of being 'anti-women' and obstructing the passage of the women's reservation bill in Lok Sabha. He criticised the TMC's opposition to the bill and defended the BJP's commitment to increasing women's representation in politics.
King Charles III reaffirmed the enduring strength of the US-UK alliance, underscored NATO's centrality to global security, and shared light-hearted moments with President Donald Trump during a White House state dinner.
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 nepotism, corruption, bad governance and 15 years of rampant crime that has happened across West Bengal under her rule led to her ouster.'
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has described Narendra Modi as the 'biggest brand ambassador' of the incumbent government in West Bengal, citing the prime minister's recent visit to Jhargram as proof of the TMC's success in restoring peace to the region.
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.
TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja staged a sit-in protest alleging irregular activities inside a strongroom housing EVMs in West Bengal, following concerns raised by Mamata Banerjee regarding EVM security.
The campaign for the current election cycle ended on Monday as canvassing for the final phase in West Bengal concluded with a bitter war of words between rival parties over cross-border infiltration, corruption, unemployment and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Nath's comments came amid the Congress party's continuous attack on Centre for the recent hike in commercial LPG cylinders and the Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF).
An Assam Police team is questioning Congress leader Pawan Khera in Delhi regarding allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his family.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted that the TMC will return to power for a fourth term, urging opposition parties to unite against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. She criticised the BJP's chargesheet against the TMC and alleged corruption in the Haldia dock complex. Banerjee also questioned Prime Minister Modi's claim of being the BJP candidate in all West Bengal seats.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances