West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya advocated a new land policy to facilitate large-scale industrialisation and assured investors of a 'fearless' environment in the state.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari held his first 'janata darbar' after assuming office, hearing people's demands and grievances at a BJP office in Kolkata.
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.
BJP chief Nitin Nabin has accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal of altering the state's demography by giving land rights to infiltrators and forcing residents to leave due to appeasement politics and lawlessness.
The BJP's West Bengal unit chief, Samik Bhattacharya, has criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, accusing it of crushing democracy and creating a lawless environment in the state. He highlighted political violence, rising debt, and a lack of investor confidence as key issues under the TMC's rule.
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.
Three months after winning power in West Bengal, the BJP is confronting a significant political challenge: how to expand and consolidate its presence without adopting the very political culture it campaigned against, particularly concerning the integration of former TMC leaders and the need to curb practices like extortion and intimidation among its own cadres.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the state government will introduce a new recruitment policy in the next Budget session to address irregularities and scams that occurred during the previous Trinamool Congress government.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has accused the BJP of inciting violence in West Bengal, alleging that BJP-backed miscreants set fire to shops in Purba Medinipur's Khejuri. The BJP has denied the allegations, claiming the TMC is trying to cause unrest.
Following their success in the West Bengal assembly elections, BJP leaders are now focusing on winning the Punjab assembly polls in 2027, promising to rid the state of corruption and drugs under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The TMC has intensified its attack on the BJP, alleging a 'larger conspiracy' involving central agencies ahead of the second phase of West Bengal polls on April 29, while also questioning the credibility of the Election Commission.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has demanded the imposition of president's rule in West Bengal, citing alleged attacks on Trinamool Congress MPs and accusing the BJP government of sponsoring violence and undermining democracy.
This election is different. It is no longer simply about governance or welfare. It is about identity, fear, and who belongs. The BJP has successfully shifted the terms of the debate from what the government has delivered to who the real Bengali is and who is an outsider, points out Ramesh Menon.
Suvendu Adhikari and Dilip Ghosh are the top contenders for West Bengal Chief Minister.
Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Saraogi supports Amit Shah's allegations that the TMC government in West Bengal is harbouring infiltrators and obstructing border fencing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed the West Bengal government's decision to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme, highlighting the benefits for the state's residents.
Bangladesh's deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina congratulated Suvendu Adhikari on assuming office as West Bengal's Chief Minister after the BJP's victory in the state.
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.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini predicts a BJP government in West Bengal, citing a desire for development and change among the state's residents.
The West Bengal government has appointed Rajdeep Majumder as the state's new additional advocate general, while N G Khaitan will take over as the advocate on record, original side, at the Calcutta High Court.
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).
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.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari held his first 'janata darbar' at the BJP's state office in Salt Lake, listening to public grievances and demands. The initiative aims to establish a direct connection with citizens and project a governance model similar to BJP-ruled states.
Newly elected West Bengal legislators, including Chief Minister Sivendu Adhikari, were sworn into the Assembly on Wednesday. Pro tem Speaker Tapas Roy administered the oath to the new members.
A local BJP leader, Trilokesh Dhali, was seriously injured after being shot in the stomach by motorcycle-borne assailants in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin has pledged to change place names deemed antithetical to West Bengal's culture and address Bangladeshi infiltration if the party wins the state election.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the central government of pressuring the outgoing Governor C V Ananda Bose to resign and alleged that his replacement, R N Ravi, is a BJP cadre.
Politicians and celebrities lined up at polling stations to cast their votes.
West Bengal Police have appealed for peace in North 24 Parganas after the murder of a BJP leader's aide. Security has been increased in sensitive areas following protests by BJP supporters demanding the arrest of the assailants.
The TMC and BJP are clashing over Bengal's food culture, with allegations of potential dietary restrictions adding spice to the West Bengal election campaign.
Suvendu Adhikari's personal assistant, Chandranath Rath, was shot at by unidentified assailants in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. He sustained multiple bullet injuries and is currently hospitalised. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh attended a fish festival, refuting claims that the BJP would restrict fish and meat consumption if it won the assembly elections. He accused former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of spreading false narratives during the campaign.
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.
West Bengal Police are investigating the murder of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, and have formed multiple teams to trace the assailants.
The West Bengal government has transferred 142.79 acres of land to the Border Security Force (BSF) to facilitate the construction of outposts and barbed-wire fencing along the India-Bangladesh border, according to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
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.
Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as the first BJP chief minister of West Bengal, marking the end of the Trinamool Congress' 15-year rule in the state.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the first phase of fund transfers under the 'Annapurna Yojana' will begin on June 3, with eligible women beneficiaries receiving Rs 3,000 directly in their bank accounts.
In West Bengal's political circles, it was widely believed that after Mamata Banerjee, Suvendu Adhikhari was perhaps the only leader with a truly significant mass base of his own.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections by submitting a large number of Form 6 applications to illegally register voters from outside the state.
