West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asserted that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will return to power with a two-thirds majority in the 2026 Assembly elections in the state and ruled out the possibility of stitching any alliance with the Congress. Banerjee's statement comes amidst speculation over a possible Congress-TMC understanding in West Bengal, following the removal of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as state Congress president and the appointment of Subhankar Sarkar. However, Banerjee has categorically stated that the TMC will fight alone and secure a historic victory. The Congress, on the other hand, has responded by saying that regional parties are bothered about the Congress because they have realised their mistake in ignoring the party during the Delhi polls. The BJP has downplayed Banerjee's remarks, stating that the TMC's defeat in the upcoming elections is inevitable. The West Bengal Assembly elections are likely to be held in April-May next year.
The T20 WC champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
Indian Premier League side Punjab Kings (PBKS) has roped in former India cricketer Sairaj Bahutule as its new spin bowling coach ahead of the league's next season.
Sunil Chhetri's late equaliser for Bengaluru FC ended East Bengal FC's play-offs aspirations after a 1-1 draw in the Indian Super League match in Kolkata.
A gas cylinder blast in a house at Dholahat in West Bengal's Pathar Pratima has claimed eight lives, including four children. The explosion, which occurred on Monday night, triggered a massive fire, intensified by the presence of stacked firecrackers inside the house. The incident has sparked a political controversy, with the BJP demanding a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe and the TMC maintaining that the police are already investigating and that the state government has a "zero-tolerance " policy towards such incidents. The blast has also raised concerns about the safety of illegal firecracker manufacturing units, which have been linked to several recent accidents in the state.
Police said there were intelligence inputs that attempts would be made to trigger violence during the match, because of which it was cancelled.
Alongside the power plant, Chief Minister Banerjee also laid the foundation stone for JSW Industrial Park, which will be spread over 2,000 acres with plug-and-play infrastructure.
Former poll strategist Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party fails to win any seats in the Bihar assembly elections, while his prediction about JD(U)'s performance proves inaccurate. The article analyzes Kishor's political journey and future prospects.
The season-opening Super Cup will kick off from October 25 in Goa, an official of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said on Tuesday.
India pacer Akash Deep received a special award for his impressive performance in the recent Test series in England during annual Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) awards in Kolkata on Saturday.
'The BJP lacks a credible mass leader who matches Mamata Banerjee's popularity.' 'Given the division of votes among Opposition parties, the West Bengal government's dole-giving strategy, and the consolidation of the poor, significant sections of scheduled caste groups and Muslim minorities behind the ruling party, it will be difficult to dislodge the Trinamool from power.'
Mumbai City FC held off a late scare from East Bengal FC to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory in the Indian Super League (ISL) in Kolkata on Monday.
The National Democratic Alliance was set to sweep the Bihar assembly polls, surging ahead in over 200 of 243 seats on Friday with the Bharatiya Janata Party emerging as single largest party with about 90 per cent strike rate, reaffirming the popularity and campaign clout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the face of the ruling alliance through the poll battle in the highly sensitive political state.
Second-half strikes from Mikel Idiakez and Joby Justin fired debutants Diamond Harbour FC to a 2-1 win over East Bengal on Wednesday, sealing a spot in the 134th Durand Cup final against NorthEast United FC.
Delhi residents woke up on Tuesday to heavy grey haze darkening the city skies, reduced visibility and the air quality in the 'red zone' after many celebrated Diwali last night by bursting firecrackers beyond the two-hour limit set by the Supreme Court.
A dominant NorthEast United FC are standing in the way as giant-killers Diamond Harbour FC look to script history by becoming the first debutant team to win the Durand Cup title in Kolkata on Saturday.
'Are elections still fair in India, or are we all witness to a macabre style of 'selection' of lawmakers? The jury will be out on this for a long time because there is no definitive evidence on either contention, at least as yet,' notes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author, Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times.
The West Bengal Urdu Academy has postponed a 'mushaira' featuring Javed Akhtar following protests by some Muslim groups who claim his comments hurt religious sentiments. Left student organizations condemn the postponement.
Radical Islamist networks are deliberately targeting Muslim youths embedded within the country's professional and academic ecosystems, leveraging their skills, mobility, and digital reach to quietly strengthen operational capabilities. This trend highlights a dangerous evolution in terror recruitment -- one that exploits ideological faultlines, online echo chambers and transnational radical Islamist influences to attract individuals who outwardly embody India's modern and aspirational narrative, points out Dr Kanchan Lakshman.
East Bengal FC have some sharp strikers such as Dimitrios Diamantakos and Cleiton Silva in their ranks. They can launch offence at the Odisha FC defence from set-pieces -- a facet of the game that Lobera will have to set his team up for diligently.
After big win in Bihar, the BJP is likely to push harder in Tamil Nadu, where the DMK government and the uneasy BJP-AIADMK alliance are preparing for a tense election filled with seat-sharing fights, changing alliances, and the unpredictable entry of Vijay's TVK party, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
East Bengal scored four second half goals to recorded a sensational come-from-behind victory, beating Punjab FC 4-2 in their Indian Super League (ISL) match at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) stadium in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan questioned the attempts being made to implement the SIR in poll-bound Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal while the Constitutional validity of the Bihar SIR process is under consideration by the Supreme Court.
Left to its machinations, the BJP would have loved to cut Nitish down to size, but it can't afford to do so as the JD-U is in alliance with the BJP at the Centre, and cannot form a government on its own in Bihar. For now, both need each other: Nitish for legitimacy, the BJP for numbers, points out Ramesh Menon.
Developing relations with the Taliban is needed, but plunging headlong into Afghanistan without due thought will be akin to the rooster entering a KFC outlet, warns Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (Retd).
East Bengal FC returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Kerala Blasters FC in an Indian Super League match, in Kolkata, on Friday.
Sourav Ganguly, who previously served as BCCI president from 2019 to 2022, replaced his elder brother Snehasish Ganguly.
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.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien criticizes the government's focus on cross-voting in the vice presidential poll, urging attention to issues like US tariffs, Manipur violence, and MGNREGA funds.
'At COP30, the emphasis will be on unlocking climate finance, reinforcing the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and building resilience through inclusive transitions and the mainstreaming of adaptation.'
If he cannot do it this term by using his bureaucracy and experts from different fields, it will be a tragedy, asserts Ramesh Menon.
East Bengal edge past NEUFC 1-0 to register first win of ISL season
The Pipers surged ahead in search for an equaliser towards the end of the second quarter but the Tigers scrambled to defend their slender 1-0 lead.
10 ISL clubs slam AIFF for delay in tender process, allege "breach of trust"
Addressing a massive Martyrs' Day rally in Kolkata, Banerjee gave a clarion call to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2026 assembly elections and eventually oust it from power at the Centre, declaring, "If this linguistic profiling doesn't stop, our resistance movement will reach New Delhi."
'If they can be duplicitous, we can be equally duplicitous.' 'If they offer friendship, we reciprocate.' 'If they choose hostility, we respond with equal hostility.'
The BJP's MoSha leadership are past masters in encouraging defections from their allies if it helped their party capture the chief minister's chair. In Bihar, they are not sure if JD-U MPs and MLAs would be willing to cross over to the BJP if the Nitish leadership came on top -- and the NDA crossed the halfway mark together, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Sourav Ganguly set to re-enter administration, to file nomination for CAB presidency
A high alert has been sounded in Uttar Pradesh's seven districts bordering Nepal. The districts are Maharajganj, Siddharthnagar, Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri and Pilibhit.
Defending champions NorthEast United FC will face impressive hosts Shillong Lajong FC in the first semifinals of the Durand Cup, an encore of 2024 final match, in Shillong on Tuesday.
