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.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government, accusing it of attempting to suppress voting rights and polarise the electorate ahead of the assembly elections.
The BJP has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of fostering a 'mafia culture' and 'maha jungle raj' in West Bengal following the killing of an aide to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. The party alleges the incident reflects institutionalised post-poll violence in the state and demands a CBI probe.
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.
Five BJP supporters were injured in a bomb blast in Panihati, West Bengal, following the shooting of a BJP leader's aide. Police are investigating the incident and have increased security in the area.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee accuses the BJP of instigating violence during Ram Navami rallies in West Bengal, alleging the party uses the festival to create unrest and division.
Trinamool Congress offices across West Bengal were allegedly defaced and damaged following the BJP's victory in the Assembly polls, with the TMC alleging BJP involvement, which the BJP denies.
Following a significant defeat to the BJP, Trinamool Congress leaders are openly criticising the party leadership, citing mismanagement and lack of support as key factors in the election outcome.
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, now in North Bengal, appealed once again on Thursday to Banerjee to end her fast.
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.
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.
A political controversy has erupted in West Bengal following the emergence of an alleged video of Humayun Kabir, purportedly claiming links with senior BJP leaders and efforts to defeat Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Her victory significantly coincided with a verdict of the Calcutta High Court upholding the Singur land act as constitutional and valid.
'What lesson will the other UPA allies draw? Mamata has been strident -- even defiant -- when it comes to protecting her turf, even risking outright rupture with the Congress. She has been repaid by the voters. Will other parties too draw the same lesson?'
The TMC's defeat in West Bengal signals an institutional breakdown, highlighting the collapse of its organisational core and raising questions about its sustainability beyond its top leadership.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has shared a purported video of Humayun Kabir, alleging a BJP conspiracy to influence the West Bengal elections. The video claims Kabir discussed strategies to divert minority votes and received funds for the plan. The BJP has denied the allegations, while Kabir claims the video is AI-generated and threatens legal action.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee declined to attend the dinner being hosted by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on the eve of Presidential elections.
T V R Shenoy explains the likely reasons behind the West Bengal chief minister's seemingly bizarre political behaviour.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) has appointed Abhishek Banerjee as its new parliamentary leader in the Lok Sabha, replacing Sudip Bandopadhyay. The decision was made during a virtual meeting chaired by Mamata Banerjee. This move is seen as a generational shift and a preparation for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
'If the Opposition associates itself too much with the minorities, then it becomes easy for the BJP to get Hindu consolidation votes.'
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP-led central government of attempting to suppress voting rights through voter roll revisions, describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the 'biggest infiltrator'. She framed the upcoming assembly elections as a fight for democratic rights and Bengal's social harmony.
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.
'The Trinamool Congress cannot afford to vote with the BJP or the CPI-M,' she said. 'Neither can we support the Congress.'
A day after inviting Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee to form the new government in West Bengal, Governor M K Narayanan on Tuesday issued an order appointing her as the chief minister. Narayanan had on Monday sent a letter to Banerjee inviting her to form the government following her party's landslide victory in the assembly elections. On Sunday, the Trinamool Congress had formally staked claim to form the government.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah pledged the BJP will recover funds allegedly stolen by the TMC in Bengal and promised development schemes for North Bengal, while attacking Mamata Banerjee's governance.
''Banerjee has made a statement on Mukherjee being given the Padma Vibhusan, which is unsavoury and against all decency. She should apologise with folded hands for her remark,'' said West Bengal Congress General Secretary Manas Bhuyian.
'Every minute, one has to listen to some diktat or the other. As a Trinamool Congress member, every step of ours is vetted. One has to take permission before doing anything,' MLA Sikha Mitra, suspended for criticising party leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, tells Indrani Roy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated senior BJP worker Makhanlal Sarkar at a swearing-in ceremony in West Bengal. Sarkar, 98, is an early grassroots figure associated with the nationalist movement. Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the state's first BJP Chief Minister after defeating Mamata Banerjee.
He said the Mamata Banerjee-led party takes an "aggressive" stand on issues.
Paes had joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021 and campaigned for the party during the Goa elections in 2022.
The Shiv Sena-UBT is openly questioning the Congress party's leadership within the INDIA bloc.
Congress leader K C Venugopal indicated the opposition is seriously considering the proposal, while Rahul Gandhi declined to comment.
The Trinamool Congress leader had been languishing without a portfolio for over four months.
The Election Commission's move to transfer West Bengal's chief secretary and DGP soon after the announcement of Assembly poll dates triggered a political slugfest.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will not be a star campaigner for the Trinamool Congress as the Election Commission has rejected the list of her party's star campaigners for the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls. The expenditure incurred on the party campaigners, including Banerjee, will not be exempted now as they are not 'star campaigners' approved by the EC and such expenses will be included in the candidates' expenses, sources said.
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 ED said the actions of Banerjee and the Kolkata Police commissioner resulted in "obstructions" in the ongoing investigation and proceedings being undertaken as per the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Hasty, ill-conceived steps show how isolated Mamata Banerjee had been from the national political trend. A fascinating excerpt from Sugato Hazra's Losing The Plot: Political Isolation Of West Bengal.
Indian tennis icon Leander Paes has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), marking a significant transition from his celebrated sports career to the political arena, ahead of assembly elections in West Bengal.
The Supreme Court will hear on Wednesday a plea filed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee challenging the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
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