The new BJP government also appointed IAS officer Shantanu Bala as the chief minister's private secretary, according to another notification.
The West Bengal government plans to introduce two new bills in the Assembly to address public disorder, vandalism, and attacks on police and public servants. One bill will amend the existing Public Order Act, 1972, while the other, titled the Public Safety Control and Anti-Social Activity Bill, will comprehensively strengthen public safety measures. These legislative changes aim to curb incidents of violence and allow for compensation recovery from offenders.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the BJP would not allow any intruders into West Bengal if they win the state election, and would selectively root out illegal immigrants already present.
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 Trinamool Congress (TMC) has dismissed "baseless" rumours of a possible merger with the Congress, despite recent meetings between TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, which occurred amidst significant internal rebellion within the TMC following its recent electoral defeat in West Bengal.
According to pollster Pradeep Gupta, years of TMC "misrule" that created a "climate of fear", Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charisma and the organisational abilities of Amit Shah and the RSS brought the BJP to power in West Bengal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed BJP workers after the party's performance in assembly elections, urging an end to political violence in West Bengal and a focus on the state's future.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of protecting infiltrators and alleged her associate wants to build a Babri Masjid in the state.
'In West Bengal, the BJP's ideology of Hindutva will be customised to cater to the culture and the cultural imperatives of Bengalis.'
West Bengal's annual July 21 Martyrs' Day observance has transformed into an unprecedented political contest, with three rival camps - Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, a breakaway TMC faction, and the Congress - holding parallel programmes in central Kolkata, each vying for legacy and organisational strength.
The Calcutta High Court has granted interim protection to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee for three weeks in a signature forgery case related to the appointment of the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal assembly. Banerjee was directed to appear before the CID for questioning, which he complied with. The case involves allegations by rebel TMC MLAs that their signatures were forged on a party resolution, prompting a CID investigation.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of shielding infiltrators, promoting dynastic politics, and supporting the construction of a mosque resembling the Babri Masjid.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed poll rallies in West Bengal, promising jobs for youths and an 'infiltrator-free' state if the BJP wins the assembly elections. He also pledged to restore industrial glory, end syndicate raj, and ensure women's safety.
The BJP will focus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development agenda in the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections, rather than projecting a chief ministerial candidate, according to state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused central forces of attempting to search her car while en route to Kolkata airport, alleging misuse of central machinery by the BJP ahead of state elections.
West Bengal's appointment of Manoj Agarwal, the former Chief Electoral Officer, as the new Chief Secretary has ignited a political firestorm, raising concerns about the fairness and impartiality of the state's electoral processes.
The NIA has filed chargesheets against 31 individuals in connection with road blockades and illegal detention of judicial officers in West Bengal's Malda district.
Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar expressed confidence in the party's future in the state, drawing parallels with the BJP's growth in West Bengal. He highlighted the party's focus on development and its commitment to addressing people's issues in the Assembly.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee criticised the BJP for not fulfilling its promises, highlighting the continuation of West Bengal's welfare schemes and challenging the BJP to implement similar initiatives in their ruled states.
The Centre has ordered the deployment of 20 additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Delhi. These forces are being airlifted from West Bengal to strengthen security measures in response to CJP protests, demonstrations by various political parties, and the ongoing Parliament session, following instances of violent clashes.
Track the 2026 assembly election results for Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Puducherry, and Kerala with live vote counting updates, candidate leads, and interactive doughnut graphs. Stay informed with real?time numbers, trends, and comprehensive state?wise coverage.
Mamata Banerjee, former West Bengal chief minister, updated her social media profiles to reflect her position as Founder Chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress and Chief Minister of West Bengal, despite the party's recent electoral defeat.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has voiced his support for the TMC and DMK after their losses in recent assembly elections, while criticising the Congress party.
The West Bengal government has directed all state-run and aided schools to mandatorily include the singing of Vande Mataram during morning assemblies with immediate effect.
The renewed rush comes days after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that West Bengal would aggressively implement a 'detect, delete and deport' policy against infiltrators.
The Enforcement Directorate arrested former West Bengal minister Sujit Bose in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged municipality recruitment scam.
TMC leader Jahangir Khan, a close aide to Abhishek Banerjee, was made to walk through areas of Falta as part of an investigation into the 2021 post-poll violence. Khan, currently in police custody, was arrested while allegedly trying to flee and is being investigated for his role in the alleged violence.
A court in Kolkata granted bail to Bangla Pokkho's founder, Garga Chatterjee, who was arrested for allegedly spreading misinformation through social media posts during the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee claims 64 dissident TMC MLAs have submitted their names to the Speaker, constituting over two-thirds of the party's Assembly strength, and has called for a floor test to verify their claims of support amidst a widening split within the Trinamool Congress.
Amid a significant split within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), two "dissident" MPs, June Maliah and Deepak Adhikari (Dev), along with an MLA, attended an administrative meeting chaired by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. This event follows a major rebellion within the TMC, where 20 Lok Sabha MPs reportedly declared support for the BJP-led NDA as a separate bloc.
Exit polls suggest significant shifts in Indian state assembly elections, forecasting BJP gains in West Bengal and Assam, a DMK comeback in Tamil Nadu, and a tight race in Kerala.
Three former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MPs, including Sushmita Dev and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday and, within hours, were named the saffron party's candidates for the Rajya Sabha bypolls from West Bengal, underlining both their political rehabilitation and the party's calibrated shift in inducting leaders from the erstwhile ruling dispensation.
The BJP has released its election manifesto for West Bengal, promising a hardline stance on infiltration, financial assistance for women and unemployed youth, and the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission for state employees.
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.
Senior Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra has joined the rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee, resigning from all organisational posts under Mamata Banerjee's leadership while maintaining his Trinamool MLA status. This move significantly bolsters the rebel camp and intensifies the power struggle within the party, coming amidst a municipal recruitment scam investigation involving Mitra's family.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Chandrima Bhattacharya has resigned as the party's West Bengal president and from all other posts, citing a loss of trust after an admonishment from Mamata Banerjee. She has since been seen meeting with the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel faction, further deepening the organisational crisis within the TMC following its recent Assembly election defeat.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused authorities of deleting names of people from the Matua and minority communities from voter rolls in the state following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The CBI has registered an FIR in the alleged murder of Chandranath Rath, an aide to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, taking over the investigation from the state police following a request from the state government.
Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar announced that 20 dissident Lok Sabha members from TMC have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and pledged support to the NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The group expects its numbers to increase to 22 and clarified they have no connection with rebel TMC MLAs in West Bengal. Dastidar also highlighted the alleged non-implementation of central schemes in West Bengal by the previous TMC government.
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.
