Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence that the BJP would form the next government in West Bengal after the assembly polls, asserting that he would return to the state for the oath-taking ceremony after results are announced on May 4.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has expressed confidence that the BJP will form a government in West Bengal, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and citing high voter turnout as a sign of public trust.
The BJP must respect Bengal's pluralistic ethos and with this historic mandate give the state the constructive change it truly deserves, expects Kolkata native Payal Singh Mohanka.
A BJP government in Bengal inherits more problems than it might care to admit at its moment of triumph, points out Ramesh Menon
Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, have strongly criticised the BJP for felicitating former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who resigned following student protests over the NEET exam controversy. They have also dismissed the government's proposed anti-paper leak legislation as a 'cosmetic Bill' and questioned the sincerity of education reforms.
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.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced a Rs 100 crore allocation for sports infrastructure and athlete development during a Sports Conclave in Raipur. The state government is focused on promoting sports, nurturing talent, and providing employment opportunities for outstanding sportspersons, alongside organising major sporting events like the Bastar and Surguja Olympics.
An unidentified group hurled a petrol bomb at the BJP office in Sangrur, Punjab, prompting strong condemnation from party leaders who criticised the AAP government's handling of law and order. Police are investigating the incident, which caused no injuries but left a burn mark on the building.
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.
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has urged the Congress and CPI(M) to set aside their differences and unite under the INDIA bloc to fight the BJP in West Bengal. This marks a significant shift in the TMC's stance, which has historically been a bitter rival to the Congress and Left in the state.
West Bengal's BJP government, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has announced a probe into the expenditure of the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) organised during the previous TMC regime. Adhikari alleged that an event management firm was paid Rs 635 crore for various editions of the summit, promising strict action against those found responsible for financial irregularities.
BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh has criticised the AAP government in Punjab, citing failures in tackling drug trafficking, mafia activities, and a deteriorating law and order situation. He urged party workers to launch awareness campaigns against drugs and assist in the Special Intensive Revision exercise for upcoming elections, envisioning a drug-free, fear-free, and development-oriented Punjab.
Congress MLA and former India Hockey Captain Pargat Singh has criticised the change in the Indian hockey team's national jersey colour from blue to saffron, alleging it reflects the BJP's mindset of 'giving everything a particular colour' and urging a focus on sports development instead.
Less than two months after ending the TMC's 15-year rule in the state, the BJP government is expected to table one of its most ambitious and politically sensitive promises, setting the stage for what could become the first major ideological confrontation of the post-election period.
The BJP is significantly increasing its digital engagement with young people on Instagram, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union ministers, in response to the NEET-UG paper leak controversy and subsequent student protests. This strategic shift aims to counter the narrative and communicate government actions on examination reforms.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran has alleged that a government school in Tiruppur illegally collected fees from students for admission and has sought stringent action against the school authorities.
Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed strong "anguish" over the Indian hockey team's decision to change its traditional blue jersey to saffron for the upcoming FIH World Cup. Patnaik, whose state government previously sponsored the team, criticised the move as "petty politics" and an attempt to erase sporting legacy, alleging pressure from the BJP government in Odisha. Hockey India stated the saffron colour symbolises courage, sacrifice, and new beginnings, inspired by the national flag.
BJP sources said the government would introduce a fresh Bill on the issue and has reached out to parties that opposed the earlier legislation.
BJP leader Nitin Nabin accuses the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government of altering West Bengal's demography by favouring infiltrators and neglecting the rights of the state's residents, promising to rectify the situation if the BJP comes to power.
After nearly 19 years, exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen returned to Kolkata, calling it a deeply emotional homecoming.
Former BJP leader K Annamalai has criticised the Centre for its handling of the NEET issue, alleging a lack of accountability despite three question paper leaks and questioning the delay in engaging with student protesters.
What remained at Shivaji Park was not Gen Z anger but of momentum -- a generation that had, in its own telling, made an emperor bow, and intends to keep singing and meme-ing about it.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) representatives Abhijeet Dipke and Saurav Das have accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers of disrupting ongoing student protests, pelting stones, and attempting to defame protesters. They also reiterated the 'non-negotiable' demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation amidst the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, while Union Health Minister JP Nadda urged against politicising the issue.
An education baron from Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party, has been arrested in connection with the alleged Shalarth ID scam, which involves creating fake identities of teachers on a government portal and withdrawing salaries in their names.
The spiralling agitation over the NEET issue saw protests and counter-protests by Congress and BJP across the country on Wednesday, with clashes and tense face-offs at many places, a day after Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders were forcibly removed from a dharna outside the prime minister's residence.
'These are children of our own country; they must be heard': Param Vir Chakra Awardee Honorary Captain Yogendra Singh Yadav.
The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP has served a legal notice to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, demanding a retraction and public apology for his allegations that the BJP attempted to bribe National Conference legislators to destabilise his government. The BJP has called the claims "false, baseless and defamatory" and warned of civil and criminal proceedings, including a Rs 100 crore defamation suit, if their demands are not met within seven days.
'BJP wanted a compromised Opposition and found a match in this faction of the Trinamool.'
The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) staged a protest in Panchkula, alleging that the BJP government in Haryana is unfairly recruiting individuals from outside the state for government jobs, thereby depriving local youth of employment opportunities.
'Our leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, are in touch with all Opposition parties, including the DMK and the AAP.'
Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen has returned to Kolkata after nearly 19 years, describing the visit as an emotional homecoming to a city she still considers her own, ahead of a literary event that has acquired political resonance under West Bengal's new BJP government.
The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) staged a protest in Panchkula, alleging that the BJP government in Haryana is unfairly recruiting individuals from outside the state for government jobs, thereby depriving local youth of employment opportunities.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has accused the BJP of attempting to destabilise his government by trying to split the National Conference. He alleged that the BJP is using financial incentives and promises of ministerial berths and statehood to lure his MLAs, with one MLA reportedly offered up to Rs 30 crore. Abdullah asserted that his party's legislators would not compromise their integrity.
'You will have the President's rule for 7 to 8 months, And Annamalai will be the hero in those 7 months.'
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of disrupting a TMC protest march concerning the Baruipur rape and murder case, alleging that the police acted as an 'arm' of the saffron party by failing to enforce a Calcutta High Court order permitting the rally.
The Congress party has strongly criticised the BJP government following allegations that AK-47 rifles were used against protesting students in Bihar, with Rahul Gandhi demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's apology and action against those responsible for the 'deadly attacks and brutality'.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has announced his decision to contest the Bankipur assembly by-election in Bihar. He frames the bypoll as a "referendum" on the performance of the current BJP-led government under Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. Kishor, a former poll strategist, aims to challenge the established parties in a seat traditionally held by the BJP.
A controversy has erupted in Odisha after Lord Jagannath's idol was moved from the Puri temple to the chariot during the Rath Yatra without its traditional 'Tahia' floral headgear, leading to strong criticism from opposition parties BJD and Congress against the BJP government.
Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin is set to return to Kolkata next month for an anti-fundamentalism literary event, nearly two decades after she was forced to leave the city amid violent protests over her writings. The BJP government in West Bengal is projecting this as a reversal of past capitulation to religious fundamentalism.
Having governed Odisha for 24 uninterrupted years, the BJD now finds itself in the unfamiliar role of Opposition. Its organisational overhaul following the 2024 defeat has yet to produce a recognisable second line of leadership.
