Villagers in Mathabhanga, West Bengal, have started receiving refunds of 'cut money' they paid to local toughs to access government scheme benefits during the previous TMC regime. The BJP claims this is due to their rise to power, while the TMC denies any involvement in the illegal collections.
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.
EVMs can't be used in presidential, vice-presidential, or Rajya Sabha polls because they only count simple votes, not the preference-based system needed for these elections.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has accused the BJP of misusing democratic institutions and stoking communal discord in Bengal, criticising their 'double engine' governance model.
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a video clip allegedly showing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee using derogatory language against the SC community during an election rally.
TVK chief Vijay, a candidate in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, has filed a revised election affidavit disclosing two pending FIRs, addressing discrepancies in his initial filing.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has accused the TMC government of turning Kolkata into a 'city of slums' and using infiltrators as a vote bank, sparking a strong reaction from the TMC, which accused him of insulting the people of Bengal.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the BJP's manifesto for West Bengal, promising a Uniform Civil Code, a Bengali chief minister, and improved governance.
Under attack over his comments about the Supreme Court and the Election Commission in London, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Saturday said that he was "saddened" by the unfair manner in which his comments were reported to feed "an already frenzied and surcharged atmosphere" in the country.
AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot has accused Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of following similar political approaches to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging a tacit understanding between the CPI(M) and the BJP in Kerala.
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.
Maharashtra has completed 66.42 per cent of its pre-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) mapping work, with significant variations in progress across different districts, according to officials.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal criticised the BJP's stance on women's reservation, challenging them to reject ideological texts like the Manusmriti. He accused the BJP of using the issue for political gains and misrepresenting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks.
The government had approached the Commission seeking clearance for the regular radio programme as Model Code of Conduct is in force in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur which are going for assembly polls between February 4 and March 8.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has moved to an ashram on the outskirts of Patna to continue his political activities ahead of the next assembly elections. He criticised Nitish Kumar and urged voters to prioritise their own interests.
Banerjee is personally present in court room one along with her lawyers. A gate pass was issued in the chief minister's name on Tuesday.
The electorate did not vote for the BJP as much as they voted against the TMC. This is an important distinction that the new government will ignore at its own peril, points out Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
Mamata Banerjee accuses the BJP of importing voters for the Assam elections and plotting similar interference in West Bengal, raising concerns about electoral integrity and potential cultural restrictions.
Initial vote counting in the Kerala Assembly elections indicates a significant lead for the Congress-led UDF, suggesting a potential shift in power.
BJP president Nitin Nabin has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and opposition parties like the Congress for the setback in implementing women's reservation in legislatures.
West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu has accused the BJP of planning detention camps for Bengali-speaking citizens in the state if they come to power, alleging a conspiracy to deport those whose names are missing from the electoral roll.
The Indian Parliament is expected to extend its budget session to introduce a bill increasing Lok Sabha seats to 816, reserving 273 for women, and amending the women's reservation law.
A significant 7.87 per cent increase in the BJP's vote share in West Bengal, reaching 45.84 per cent, propelled the party to secure an additional 130 assembly seats, bringing their total to 207, while the Trinamool Congress experienced a 7.22 per cent decline, losing 135 seats and falling to 80.
'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.'
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused central forces of searching her car and criticised the BJP for alleged election misconduct during a rally in Islampur, Uttar Dinajpur district.
The West Bengal government has filed FIRs against five state government employees for alleged lapses in electoral roll revisions, following an Election Commission ultimatum. The action comes after the EC directed the state to initiate criminal cases against the accused for adding fictitious names to voter lists.
Ahead of the July 19 presidential election, the Election Commission has made it clear that political parties cannot issue any direction or whip to members to vote or not as it would tantamount to an offence of undue influence
The West Bengal cabinet has decided to discontinue assistance-oriented schemes based on religious categorisation for Imams, muezzins and purohits from June. The cabinet also approved the 'Annapurna' scheme of Rs 3,000 monthly support to women from June 1, and granted in-principle consent for their free travel in state-run buses.
The TVK has ended the nearly six-decade dominance of DMK and AIADMK in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, securing 108 out of 234 constituencies in its debut, but falls short of the 118 seats needed for an absolute majority, prompting discussions on coalition options and the governor's role.
The house of former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Santosh Chowdhary in Hoshiarpur was allegedly broken into by unidentified persons who vandalised property and committed theft. Police have registered a case and are investigating.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with families affected by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, met with the Chief Election Commissioner to voice their concerns and demand a halt to the revision process.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar has offered Rs 10 lakh fund for villages in his Karimnagar Lok Sabha constituency if they elect a BJP-backed candidate in the Gram Panchayat polls to be held in Telangana next month.
Suvendu Adhikari has been elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party in West Bengal, paving the way for him to become the state's first BJP chief minister.
A new report indicates a rise in 'red alert' constituencies in the West Bengal Assembly elections, with a significant number of candidates facing criminal charges.
The Election Commission has placed orders estimated at more than Rs 300 crore with Electronics Corporation of India Ltd and Bharat Electronics Ltd to deliver Electronic Voting Machines for the Lok Sabha elections.
"The Election Commission's press conference should be welcomed because it is a good step to clear public doubts regarding the SIR process (in Bihar) and other issues," Rawat told PTI in Indore.
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.
'...especially pressure on the rupee, the current account deficit, and foreign exchange outflows.' 'The key question over the next several months is whether the government can prevent external turbulence from feeding into domestic economic pessimism.'
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at multiple locations in West Bengal as part of an investigation into the operations of an alleged illegal call centre.
Congress leader K Muraleedharan has dismissed the BJP's influence in Kerala ahead of the Assembly elections, citing unfulfilled promises and a lack of tangible benefits for the state.
