Tension flared outside the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Kolkata following a confrontation between Trinamool Congress supporters and police over alleged voter list manipulation, with accusations of illegal voter enrolment from other states.
The death of former West Bengal assembly deputy speaker and veteran Trinamool Congress leader Ashis Banerjee on Sunday triggered a political blame game, with the rival factions within the party and the Bharatiya Janata Party trading allegations over the circumstances surrounding the 74-year-old leader's death.
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.
The Election Commission is preparing to launch the third phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' lists, potentially covering 22 states and Union Territories with approximately 40 crore electors.
West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Agarwal, has refuted allegations of potential malpractices at counting centres, assuring that robust security measures are in place. This comes after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee raised concerns about possible tampering with EVMs.
Despite numerous appeals, only two names have been restored to the West Bengal electoral rolls after 2.7 million deletions, raising concerns about voter access and the functionality of proposed tribunals.
Former poll strategist Prashant Kishor made a stunning electoral debut by winning Bihar's Bankipur assembly seat, a long-held BJP bastion. Concurrently, the Congress retained the Datia assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh, while the BJP successfully held onto the Manjalpur seat in Gujarat, showcasing mixed results for the ruling and opposition parties in these crucial by-elections.
Dharmendra Pradhan's political career faced an unexpected jolt as he resigned as Education Minister following nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak, marking a significant departure from the government's initial dismissive response to the agitation.
The Election Commission (EC) clarified that Nobel laureate Amartya Sen is not required to appear for a hearing regarding discrepancies in the spelling of his name in the voter list. The correction will be handled administratively. The EC also issued instructions to ensure timely delivery of notices related to voter list discrepancies.
The Election Commission of India has issued directives to political parties and candidates in Kerala, restricting the publication of print advertisements on the eve and day of the Assembly elections without prior certification.
A Congress spokesperson, quoted in media reports, summed up the party's thinking by saying, 'Whenever BJP is in trouble on the ground, a new 'apolitical' or 'alternative' party appears with the same ideology and the same backers.'
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of attempting to illegally include voters from outside the state in West Bengal's electoral rolls, alleging a coordinated effort to interfere with democratic rights.
The Supreme Court has directed an appellate tribunal to expeditiously decide an appeal filed by a 75-year-old advocate challenging the deletion of his name from the West Bengal voters' list following a Special Intensive Revision exercise. The court noted the petitioner appeared to be a bona fide resident and requested a decision within two months.
The Election Commission is set to publish the draft electoral rolls for West Bengal on Tuesday following the completion of the statewide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ahead of the 2026 assembly polls. The publication of the draft rolls will mark the end of the enumeration phase and the beginning of a far more contentious stage - claims, objections and hearings that will stretch into February 2026.
The Election Commission of India is considering launching the final phase of its special intensive revision of voters' lists in the remaining states and Union territories after the assembly elections conclude.
For India, the guiding principle should remain clear: Engage Bangladesh as a sovereign nation and society rather than through the prism of any individual leader or political party, suggests Manoj Mohanka.
The Calcutta High Court dismissed a plea challenging the Election Commission's directive to deploy central government and PSU employees for vote counting in the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Incidents of violence and vandalism were reported from parts of West Bengal during the early hours of voting in the second phase of the assembly elections on Wednesday, police said. The incidents were reported from multiple locations, including Chapra, Shantipur, Nimtala and Bhangar, they said.
The Election Commission is yet to disclose the number of voters whose names have been included or deleted following the SIR adjudication process in poll-bound West Bengal.
The Supreme Court has permitted the NIA to file its charge sheet upon completion of the investigation into the incident in West Bengal where judicial officers were illegally confined by a mob.
Facing revolt by 6 Lok Sabha MPs of his party, Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said he was ready to quit his post if the party didn't have faith in him, while his opponent and Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde hinted at more defections from the rival camp.
The Election Commission on Thursday extended the timeline for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in six states and Union territories following requests from the chief electoral officers.
'It is a well calculated strategy of the BJP to hit the JSP and widely propagate that leaders have been leaving PK sensing his defeat in the bypoll.'
BJP leader Sobha Surendran appeared before the District Returning Officer in Kerala to give her statement regarding the 'cash-for-vote' allegation against her during the Assembly polls.
'I repeatedly contacted the party leadership, but they didn't take my calls. The District Congress Committee offered no assistance.' 'I waited for a long time, and when no response came, I decided to quit the party.'
Prashant Kishor's stunning Bankipur victory has broken the BJP's three-decade dominance in one of its safest urban strongholds, signalling a major political shift in Bihar.
'I remember that Indira Gandhi was virtually worshipped as a goddess. The kind of power wielded by Indira Gandhi in the early 1970s was much more than what Modi does today, but in just three years down the line Indira Gandhi faced defeat.' 'So you cannot take people's sentiments for granted. That is a lesson that the BJP should learn.'
Amid claims of Amartya Sen being summoned over Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the Chief Electoral Office of West Bengal has clarified that the notice to the Nobel laureate was issued after the Electoral Roll Officers' Network (ERONET) portal flagged a 'logical discrepancy'.
Senior police officials in West Bengal are visiting police stations to ensure free and fair polling for the upcoming Assembly elections, focusing on maintaining law and order and preventing electoral malpractice.
It was left to an incensed Gen Z to show the rest of India that enough was enough, and that the time had come to shatter the fear psychosis generated by the government's authoritarian approach to protests and criticism, points out M R Narayan Swamy.
The Supreme Court has strongly criticised the West Bengal government's handling of an incident in Malda district where judicial officers were allegedly attacked. The BJP has accused the TMC of orchestrating the event to obstruct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and protect Rohingyas.
A section of BLOs in West Bengal protested excessive workload during the SIR process, leading to clashes with BJP supporters outside the CEO's office. The protest highlights concerns over the enumeration exercise and accusations of political interference.
Kerala Police have initiated a crackdown on misleading election-related news circulating on social media platforms, following a controversy over an Election Commission letter bearing the BJP Kerala unit's seal.
The TMC has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging that he made polarising and criminally intimidating statements during election campaigning in West Bengal.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee will hold a virtual meeting with counting agents to ensure there are no lapses during the vote counting process.
Earthquake tremors were felt in Kolkata and adjacent districts of West Bengal after a 5.5 magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Bangladesh. People rushed out of buildings in panic, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Ideology is dead; long live the numbers game that is being played with the sole intention of securing a two-third majority in the Lok Sabha for the NDA, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
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.
Election officials in Tamil Nadu have seized cash, liquor, drugs, and other goods valued at 178.78 crore as part of efforts to curb illegal inducements during the election period.
Election officials in Tamil Nadu have seized cash, liquor, drugs, and other goods valued at 178.78 crore as part of efforts to curb illegal inducements during the election period.
