The campaign for the current election cycle ended on Monday as canvassing for the final phase in West Bengal concluded with a bitter war of words between rival parties over cross-border infiltration, corruption, unemployment and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Supreme Court has declined to interfere with the Election Commission's circular regarding the deployment of central government personnel for vote counting in West Bengal, dismissing a plea by the TMC.
'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 Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of inciting conflict within Indian society and exploiting the resulting instability for financial gain. She also criticised Amit Shah and the BJP's governance.
The BJP's landslide victory in West Bengal has not merely redrawn the electoral map but overturned the operating logic of politics in the state, breaching the TMC's entrenched fortress despite a decade-and-a-half of dominance, minority consolidation, and a sustained "outsider" narrative.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of striking a Rs 1,000-crore deal to unseat the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from power in the state, alleging bribery, manipulation of electoral rolls, and disrespect towards women by central forces.
'If the BJP becomes our political identity, our political face, if we are represented by the BJP, then what happens to our identity as Bengalis?'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, accusing it of misrule and hindering the state's progress. He appealed to voters to remove the TMC from power in the upcoming assembly elections, promising development and a corruption-free government under the BJP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, citing misrule and corruption, and urged voters to elect the BJP for development and progress.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the BJP for allegedly attempting to divide people on religious and caste lines during a community outreach programme in her Bhabanipur constituency.
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.
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.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticised the TMC, alleging corruption and 'mafia rule' have created an 'identity crisis' in West Bengal. He urged voters to support the BJP in the upcoming elections, promising a 'double-engine' government for development.
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.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that her leadership has led to the weakening of the state's institutions. The remarks follow Banerjee's criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments on Jadavpur University.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the BJP for allegedly deleting names from electoral rolls and attempting to divide people on religious and caste lines during a community outreach programme in her Bhabanipur constituency.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused opposition parties of obstructing the passage of the women's reservation bill in Parliament, alleging they have crushed the dreams of women and prioritised selfish politics over national progress.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah pledged the BJP will recover funds allegedly stolen by the TMC in Bengal and promised development schemes for North Bengal, while attacking Mamata Banerjee's governance.
The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth 159 crore in connection with a money laundering investigation related to illegal coal mining in West Bengal. The case involves alleged pilferage and implicates various entities, including the political consultancy firm I-PAC.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a raid at the residence of former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee in connection with the school jobs scam. This follows his release on bail after being arrested in 2022.
I wonder if I can rest assured -- before the election ink on my finger fades -- that my home state is at the threshold of a better future, wonders Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the TMC of sheltering goons who torture women and promised citizenship to refugees in West Bengal. He highlighted the BJP's commitment to women's security by giving poll tickets to victims of violence.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted that the TMC will return to power for a fourth term, urging opposition parties to unite against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. She criticised the BJP's chargesheet against the TMC and alleged corruption in the Haldia dock complex. Banerjee also questioned Prime Minister Modi's claim of being the BJP candidate in all West Bengal seats.
TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja staged a sit-in protest alleging irregular activities inside a strongroom housing EVMs in West Bengal, following concerns raised by Mamata Banerjee regarding EVM security.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has criticised the arrest of Vinesh Chandel, co-founder of I-PAC, alleging it's a politically motivated attempt to intimidate the opposition and undermine the fairness of the upcoming West Bengal elections.
The Election Commission suspended three central armed police force personnel after a video surfaced showing them playing carrom inside a Trinamool Congress office in West Bengal. A departmental inquiry has been ordered into the matter.
The Bhabanipur assembly segment is Banerjee's political bastion, where she is locked in a prestige battle against Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in what is being seen as a symbolic rematch of Nandigram, where he had defeated her in the 2021 assembly polls.
The Indian government and opposition parties are set for a showdown in Parliament over a Constitution amendment bill concerning the implementation of the women's quota law and the delimitation exercise. The Opposition is concerned about the potential impact of delimitation on the political representation of southern states.
Under the TMC, Bengal has seen expansion of welfare, but not big-ticket private investment.
West Bengal's final phase of assembly elections focuses on the TMC's southern stronghold, where the BJP aims to make inroads. The outcome will determine whether Mamata Banerjee's party retains its dominance or if the BJP can secure a path to power.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has warned of a significant increase in cooking gas and fuel prices by the BJP-led central government following the West Bengal assembly elections. He accused the BJP of neglecting the fuel crisis and challenged them to pledge no price hikes for the next five years.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee alleges the BJP-led government may increase fuel prices after the West Bengal assembly elections, accusing them of neglecting the common man and withholding funds from the state.
Several opposition parties on Wednesday decided to jointly oppose the delimitation provisions in the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament, even as they reiterated support for women's reservation, with Mallikarjun Kharge alleging the move is politically motivated.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticised the Election Commission for allegedly failing to protect judicial officers involved in electoral roll revisions in Malda district. She accused the EC of lacking control over law and order and enabling the BJP's alleged attempts to disrupt the election process.
A special court in Delhi has remanded I-PAC co-founder Vinesh Chandel to ten days of ED custody following his arrest in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal.
Small parties have the capacity to play both ends against the middle. Puducherry could be heading that way, points out Aditi Phadnis.
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.
A Trinamool Congress delegation on Friday alleged before the Election Commission top brass that around 40 SIR-related deaths had occurred in West Bengal so far, a charge junked by the poll authority.
In West Bengal's electoral chessboard, governments are rarely made in the hills of North Bengal or the forested region of Jangalmahal. Power is usually decided in the crowded plains of South Bengal, where elections are won less by momentum and more by mathematics.
He said the Mamata Banerjee-led party takes an "aggressive" stand on issues.
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