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.
The CBI has arrested five individuals and conducted searches across India in connection with the NEET UG paper leak case. Protests have intensified, and calls for the Education Minister's resignation have grown louder. Political parties are trading blame, and the Supreme Court is considering a plea for an overhaul of the National Testing Agency.
The BJP is set to form its first government in West Bengal, with the oath-taking ceremony scheduled for May 9 at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. The event is expected to be attended by prominent BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Out of the 294 West Bengal Assembly seats, 152 will go to the polls in the first phase on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
'Look at the way SIR that was implemented in Bengal. They wanted to entirely curate the voter list in order to suit their purposes and victory.' 'Look at the targeted deletions and the targeted voting list.' 'The difference between the TMC and the BJP was only about 4% but that 4% vote was done so selectively that the difference ultimately showed up as 100 seats!'
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.
Barricades outside the residence of outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in south Kolkata were partially removed on Tuesday, a day after the Trinamool Congress lost power in the state and she was defeated from the Bhabanipur seat.
The polling for the Tamil Nadu Elections will take place on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Out of the 294 assembly seats, 152 seats in West Bengal will go to polls in the first phase on Thursday.
'When I asked Suvendu about the news that Didi was going to fight in his constituency, he said, 'Aami okhaney lorbo aar okhaney okey harabo (I will contest from there and defeat her there)' This was his comment while we were standing on the truck doing our roadshow.'
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.
The Trinamool Congress has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to experience West Bengal's 'Maa Canteen' during his visit for election campaigning, offering a meal for Rs 5. The TMC also criticised Modi's remarks on infiltration, linking it to the Home Minister's responsibilities.
As results of the Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry are declared, here's how the big names fared.
'...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.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated senior BJP worker Makhanlal Sarkar at a swearing-in ceremony in West Bengal. Sarkar, 98, is an early grassroots figure associated with the nationalist movement. Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the state's first BJP Chief Minister after defeating Mamata Banerjee.
Years after the Nano exit, Singur's farmers now seek industry and jobs, as the land remains caught between failed promises and political contest.
The Supreme Court has allowed former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and others to file fresh applications regarding their claim that victory margins in 31 constituencies in the recent assembly polls were less than the deletion of votes during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee criticised the BJP over the proposed Uniform Civil Code and the delay in recognising the Kurmali language, accusing the party of dividing people and making false promises.
Addressing party legislators after being elected the leader of the BJP legislature party, Adhikari said the atmosphere of fear in Bengal had ended and asserted that the state would now move towards an era of "trust".
Two outgoing West Bengal ministers, Sujit Bose and Rathin Ghosh, under scrutiny in a recruitment scam case, did not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as scheduled, citing health and post-election duties.
A CISF jawan was injured in a firing incident outside the residence of BJP candidate Pawan Singh in West Bengal, prompting an Election Commission report. The incident occurred amidst tensions between TMC and BJP supporters, with both parties trading accusations of instigating violence.
A personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was shot dead in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, triggering political tensions and a police investigation.
Despite recent gains, the BJP-led NDA is unlikely to achieve a two-thirds majority in the Rajya Sabha in the near future, highlighting the challenges in passing key legislation requiring constitutional amendments.
West Bengal Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari has directed senior officials to ensure transparency, accountability, and strict adherence to rules in governance. He emphasised the importance of honest opinions and actions for the state's development, urging officials to restart stalled centrally sponsored schemes and implement promises from the BJP's election manifesto.
The first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections saw a high voter turnout across 152 constituencies, with nearly 90 per cent of electors participating till 5 pm. Polling was conducted amid tight security, with reports of clashes and intimidation in some areas.
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.
The 2026 election appears to have reinforced a new political formula in Assam: Strong organisation, continuous grassroots engagement, effective alliance management and welfare-based voter outreach.
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.
The TMC's defeat in West Bengal signals an institutional breakdown, highlighting the collapse of its organisational core and raising questions about its sustainability beyond its top leadership.
For over a decade, the TMC's dominance in districts such as Murshidabad, Malda and Uttar Dinajpur rested on a near-complete consolidation of Muslim votes, a bloc that accounts for 50 per cent or more of the population in large parts of this belt.
Several incidents of post-poll violence have been reported across West Bengal, with tension escalating in various districts following the recent assembly elections. Clashes between political party supporters have led to injuries, arrests, and heightened security measures.
Suvendu Adhikari and Dilip Ghosh are the top contenders for West Bengal Chief Minister.
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 newly elected BJP-led government in West Bengal will take oath on May 9, coinciding with Rabindranath Tagore's birth anniversary, according to West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya. He also addressed post-election incidents and urged party workers to celebrate responsibly.
If West Bengal does not begin to reclaim its lost pride, the state would have lost -- perhaps irreversibly, this time, notes Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
A BJP government in Bengal inherits more problems than it might care to admit at its moment of triumph, points out Ramesh Menon
Banerjee reached the venue in the evening, ignoring torrential rains in Kolkata and was still seated inside till reports last received.
The extent of doubts over the fairness of this election can be assessed by juxtaposing two figures: Total votes polled by the two principal parties and the number of people who were disallowed from voting this time, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of protecting infiltrators and alleged her associate wants to build a Babri Masjid in the state.
The TMC has filed a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging unauthorised sorting of postal ballot covers at an EVM strongroom in Kolkata. TMC workers protested outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, claiming that postal ballots were taken to a room without CCTV coverage. Similar protests occurred at a strongroom in North 24 Parganas, while the BJP shared a video from Purba Bardhaman district.
The Chaurabasti area of Shivpur turned into a flashpoint of political violence on Thursday as supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reportedly engaged in a violent face-off.
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