Special police observer Ajay Pal Sharma toured West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district during the second phase of Assembly elections, facing political controversy and allegations of intimidation from TMC leaders.
The Election Commission is likely to reduce the number of counting centres for the West Bengal Assembly polls to 77 from 87 earlier, even as questions were raised by the ruling Trinamool Congress over the move just days ahead of counting, an official said on Thursday.
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.
The BJP-led government in Bihar secured a vote of confidence in the state assembly, with Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary pledging economic development and significant investments. The motion was passed amidst heated debates and accusations between the ruling NDA and the opposition, highlighting political tensions and differing views on issues like women's reservation.
The Election Commission of India has prohibited the conduct and dissemination of exit polls from April 9 to April 29 during the upcoming assembly elections in several states. Violators face imprisonment or fines.
The West Bengal State Legislative Assembly has been dissolved by Governor R N Ravi, marking the end of its term after the recent elections where the Trinamool Congress was defeated by the BJP.
Top Congress leaders are questioning whether the Election Commission's announced schedule for the Assembly polls unduly benefits the BJP, citing concerns over the timing and structuring of election phases.
The Congress party has alleged that the death of a party worker in Asansol, West Bengal, was a political murder, while police say it was the result of an altercation over car parking.
G Sudhakaran, the pro tem Speaker, stated he has no personal enmity with former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, emphasising that personal grudges have no place in politics.
The delimitation of constituencies, which aimed to reduce the influence of minority candidates, is a significant factor in the NDA's strong performance in the Assam elections, where they secured a record 102 seats. The 2023 delimitation exercise redrew constituencies, reserving some Muslim-majority seats for indigenous communities, which increased the BJP and its allies' seat count.
V D Satheesan, the Congress CM candidate for Kerala, expressed his gratitude to the party high command and key leaders for their support after being named Chief Minister.
Congress leader P T Ajay Mohan has discouraged discussions on who should be the CM before the Assembly poll results, expected on May 4.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Friday sought a change in seating arrangement for its MPs in the Lok Sabha, saying their alliance with the Congress has ended and it would not be appropriate for its members to sit alongside those of the Congress.
The absence of many TMC legislators from a major protest programme has triggered political chatter, raising questions about the party's unity and ability to transition into an effective opposition after its recent electoral defeat in West Bengal.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to probe the recovery of 79 crude bombs in West Bengal following a directive from the Union Home Ministry.
Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer, Ratan U Kelkar, addressed concerns regarding the release of detailed polling data from the recent Assembly elections, defending the timeline and transparency of the process.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has stated that his government has no information regarding alleged post-poll violence, as claimed by the opposition TMC. He assured that action would be taken after verifying any such charges. The statement came in response to allegations raised in the West Bengal assembly by Leader of the Opposition Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay.
A recount of postal ballots in the Sringeri Assembly constituency has resulted in a reduction of votes for Congress MLA T D Raje Gowda, following a High Court order. The Election Commission has been notified for further action.
NIA begins probe into Bhangar crude bomb case after 79 explosives recovered in West Bengal, raising serious security concerns ahead of elections.
Last time, assembly polls in West Bengal were held in eight phases -- by far the maximum. In Assam, elections were held in two phases, and in a singular phase in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
Following the conclusion of the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, election commission officials have transferred the sealed EVMs, VVPATs, and other election materials to secure strong rooms at designated counting centres throughout the state.
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.
DMK President M K Stalin has alleged that the ruling TVK won the April 23 Assembly polls by influencing people through social media, without doing any field work. He said social media was used to influence family members through children and that the DMK has realised this and will be very careful from now on. Stalin also mentioned that the DMK has set up a committee to tour all the 234 constituencies in the state to assess the ground situation and find out the reasons for the debacle.
Outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed a meeting of newly-elected MLAs of her party and stated she will not resign from her post in the wake of assembly poll results and the Centre can dismiss her.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has accused the BJP of conspiring to delete 2.7 million voters from West Bengal's electoral rolls, urging support for the Trinamool Congress to protect citizenship rights.
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 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 due to electoral offences.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor cited the Kerala Assembly election results as an example of communal harmony, highlighting instances where voters looked beyond caste and religion.
The Election Commission has ordered repolling in 15 polling stations across two Assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district following reports of electoral malpractices.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused BJP MPs of securing their seats through 'vote chori' and claims the BJP would struggle to win even 140 seats in fair elections.
West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh attended a fish festival, refuting claims that the BJP would restrict fish and meat consumption if it won the assembly elections. He accused former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of spreading false narratives during the campaign.
The AINRC-led NDA has won the Puducherry Assembly elections and is set to form the government. Chief Minister N Rangasamy won both seats he contested.
The TMC has dispatched fact-finding teams to investigate alleged post-poll violence against its workers in West Bengal, accusing BJP-backed individuals of carrying out attacks and intimidation.
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.
The Election Commission has ordered an investigation into allegations that foreign nationals fraudulently voted in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. The probe was initiated after police arrested ten foreign nationals with indelible ink on their fingers at Chennai and Madurai airports.
The IUML, a key ally of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala, anticipates a more unified Congress party after the assembly election results are announced, expressing disapproval of internal disputes over the chief ministerial candidate.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) conducted extensive voter awareness campaigns and small group meetings across West Bengal, encouraging people to vote without fear, while also providing valuable feedback to the BJP on public sentiment and rival strategies.
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.
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.
The Congress party will join the Tamil Nadu cabinet after a 59-year hiatus, with two of its MLAs set to be sworn in as ministers.
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