A significant 7.87 per cent increase in the BJP's vote share in West Bengal, reaching 45.84 per cent, propelled the party to secure an additional 130 assembly seats, bringing their total to 207, while the Trinamool Congress experienced a 7.22 per cent decline, losing 135 seats and falling to 80.
Sports event organiser Satadru Dutta alleges that political interference, security failures, and administrative lapses led to the chaotic Lionel Messi event at Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata last December, claiming he was made a scapegoat.
Following their success in the West Bengal assembly elections, BJP leaders are now focusing on winning the Punjab assembly polls in 2027, promising to rid the state of corruption and drugs under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A look at the profiles of the ministers in the new Tamil Nadu government led by Joseph C Vijay of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
Senior BJP leader Smriti Irani has criticised the TMC government in West Bengal, alleging corruption and failure to ensure women's safety. She promised a monthly cash support of Rs 3,000 for every woman if the BJP is voted to power.
'Congress needs a positive agenda rather than primarily picking up on two business houses.'
The TMC has intensified its attack on the BJP, alleging a 'larger conspiracy' involving central agencies ahead of the second phase of West Bengal polls on April 29, while also questioning the credibility of the Election Commission.
Asked about her potential successor, Banerjee deflected the question with a counter-query to the interviewer, "Who is your successor?"
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria said it would issue whatever orders or clarifications are required in the matter.
Impressed with the leadership qualities of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan says he is a big fan of hers.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's advice to female boarders on Sunday about not venturing out late at night, in the aftermath of the alleged gangrape of a medical student in Durgapur, drew criticism from the Opposition, which asserted that her remarks were emblematic of the state's law and order situation.
According to Election Commission data, Bhabanipur had 2,06,295 voters as of January 2025. The draft rolls now carry 1,61,509 names, indicating that 44,787 voters, nearly 21.7 per cent of the electorate, have been deleted.
Opposition leaders have criticised the alliance between AIMIM and a suspended TMC MLA for the West Bengal Assembly elections, fearing it will divide votes and weaken secular parties.
The only thing that might make the BJP stop trying to isolate Muslims completely will be if substantial numbers of the community vote for the party that flaunts its animosity towards it, notes Jyoti Punwani.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused the Mamata Banerjee government of favouring infiltrators over the native population in West Bengal, asserting that the upcoming assembly election is a battle to save the state's identity.
In a significant move before the West Bengal assembly elections, the Election Commission has ordered a major reshuffle of the state's police force, transferring 19 senior officers to ensure fair and secure elections.
Despite his influence, Pratik Jain avoids the spotlight. Credit is routinely passed on to colleagues. He maintains no visible faction within the TMC, no personal coterie.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the TMC of sheltering goons who torture women and promised citizenship to refugees in West Bengal. He highlighted the BJP's commitment to women's security by giving poll tickets to victims of violence.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has announced a 60-day mass outreach program targeting Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe-majority assembly constituencies in West Bengal, accusing the BJP of depriving the state of funds and disrespecting marginalized communities.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah accuses the West Bengal government of openly facilitating infiltration, defends the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists, and asserts BJP's prospects in upcoming elections.
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.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has set an ambitious goal of winning over 215 seats in the 2026 state assembly elections, aiming to secure a fourth consecutive term for the Trinamool Congress (TMC). She declared that the party will work to significantly reduce the BJP's tally and ensure that their candidates struggle to retain their deposits. The TMC's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, echoed this sentiment, urging party workers to ensure a decisive victory and achieve a two-thirds majority in the upcoming polls. The BJP, however, dismissed the TMC's claims, stating that Banerjee is merely trying to boost morale among party workers.
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.
Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy and Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao have criticised the West Bengal government for alleged protocol violations during President Droupadi Murmu's visit, sparking a political row.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, accusing them of lawlessness, corruption, and enabling illegal infiltration. He promised to initiate a special inquiry against facilitators of infiltration and to deport unauthorised entrants if the BJP comes to power in the state.
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).
The West Bengal government has filed FIRs against five state government employees for alleged lapses in electoral roll revisions, following an Election Commission ultimatum. The action comes after the EC directed the state to initiate criminal cases against the accused for adding fictitious names to voter lists.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah accuses West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of facilitating illegal immigration from Bangladesh, leading to demographic changes. He promises to end infiltration if BJP wins the upcoming elections.
I wonder if I can rest assured -- before the election ink on my finger fades -- that my home state is at the threshold of a better future, wonders Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of 'linguistic terror' and plotting to delete Bengali voters from electoral rolls, vowing to protect voting rights.
The Calcutta High Court has cancelled the membership of senior leader Mukul Roy in the West Bengal assembly under the anti-defection law, marking a significant moment in Indian jurisprudence.
'The TMC can't go on forever taking advantage of the people's fright of the BJP.'
Exit polls predict a BJP victory in Assam and an edge in West Bengal, a DMK government in Tamil Nadu, and a Congress-led UDF comeback in Kerala.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has responded to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's 'chargesheet' against the West Bengal government, accusing the BJP of attempting to polarise voters and evade accountability on issues such as women's safety and infiltration.
Counting of votes begins in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal, with significant implications for regional and national parties.
Former IAS officer Kanwaljeet Singh Cheema joins the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), with party president Sukhbir Singh Badal highlighting his administrative experience and criticising the AAP government's performance in Punjab.
'Nitish Kumar may be marginalised as an office-holder, but that is not the same thing as the disappearance of Nitish Kumar's politics.'
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee once again threw her weight behind Sourav Ganguly, saying the former India captain should have been the International Cricket Council president by now and warned, in her trademark style that "it's not that easy to stop him."
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused the Centre of pursuing vindictive politics and using central agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to terrorise people in the non Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states.
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has accused the West Bengal government of deliberately withholding central allocations for social welfare projects, including Ayushman Bharat and PM Awas Yojana, impacting millions of citizens. He also criticised the state's handling of farmer support and public distribution systems.
