West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari denies political vendetta in the signature forgery probe involving TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, stating the investigation stems from complaints by TMC MLAs.
The Election Commission reports that poll-related seizures, including cash, drugs, and liquor, have surpassed 1,000 crore in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
Exit polls suggest significant shifts in Indian state assembly elections, forecasting BJP gains in West Bengal and Assam, a DMK comeback in Tamil Nadu, and a tight race in Kerala.
Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin is set to return to Kolkata next month for an anti-fundamentalism literary event, nearly two decades after she was forced to leave the city amid violent protests over her writings. The BJP government in West Bengal is projecting this as a reversal of past capitulation to religious fundamentalism.
The IMD has forecast thunderstorms and gusty winds across south Bengal on Saturday, the day the first BJP government in West Bengal is scheduled to be sworn in at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata. Rain and thundershowers are likely to occur across all districts until May 14.
Voting has commenced for the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, with over 3.60 crore electors eligible to vote in 152 constituencies in Bengal and 5.73 crore voters in Tamil Nadu. Security measures are heightened to ensure free and fair polling.
One person died, and more than 20 others were injured after a major fire broke out in a naphtha-carrying pipeline of Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL) in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district in the early hours of Tuesday, the police said.
Demands for repolling are generally made by political parties, candidates, polling agents, or even observers, citing specific irregularities such as EVM malfunction, booth capturing, intimidation, or violation of the secrecy of voting.
The Calcutta High Court has ordered a status quo on the demolition of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's constituency office in South 24 Parganas. The court's directive prevents further demolition until a new hearing or the end of July, following a petition by Leaps and Bounds Private Limited, a company Banerjee is CEO of. The district administration had initiated demolition citing alleged construction without an approved plan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Jangipur, West Bengal, promising to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and addressing concerns about infiltration and demographic changes in the state.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand inspected Nabanna and surrounding areas ahead of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's first administrative meeting.
Title holders Services and former champions West Bengal registered dominant victories in Group A matches of the final round of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy on Monday.
The West Bengal government has directed all state-run and aided schools to mandatorily include the singing of Vande Mataram during morning assemblies with immediate effect.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that central forces will remain deployed in West Bengal for at least seven more days after the assembly elections, assuring voters of security during and after the polls.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has reconstructed the crime scene of a rape and murder case in Baruipur, West Bengal, with the three arrested accused. Forensic experts collected new samples, and the reconstruction aimed to verify statements and corroborate evidence. This follows a previous incident where another accused was killed during a similar reconstruction. The Chief Minister has assured personal monitoring of the investigation, and four separate cases have been registered related to the incident and subsequent events.
Former West Bengal food minister Rathin Ghosh appeared before the ED in connection with the alleged civic recruitment scam case after skipping summons on five earlier occasions.
West Bengal police are investigating the murder of a BJP leader's aide, suspecting the involvement of professional shooters from neighbouring states and local criminals.
West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on Thursday saw a massive voter participation during the ongoing assembly elections, with turnout reaching 89.93 per cent and 82.24 per cent respectively by 5 pm, according to the Election Commission of India.
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.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed poll rallies in West Bengal, promising jobs for youths and an 'infiltrator-free' state if the BJP wins the assembly elections. He also pledged to restore industrial glory, end syndicate raj, and ensure women's safety.
Five people, including two school students, have died after a local train struck a pool car at an open level crossing in West Bengal's Murshidabad district. The gateman has been arrested, and a railway permanent way inspector suspended for alleged dereliction of duty.
The West Bengal government has suspended two senior officials at Presidency Correctional Home following allegations that inmates were using mobile phones within the facility. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that a network of organised crime was being operated from within the state's prisons.
The high-pitched campaign for the first phase of West Bengal assembly elections concluded with the BJP and TMC focusing on electoral rolls and dietary habits, while making promises to voters. Voting is scheduled in 152 constituencies across north Bengal and southern districts, with over 3.60 crore electors eligible to vote. A record number of Central paramilitary forces have been deployed, and several districts have been identified as highly sensitive.
Appellate tribunals in West Bengal have only disposed of a small fraction of the appeals filed against decisions made during the electoral roll revision, raising concerns about the efficiency of the process.
A fresh political row has erupted in West Bengal after a person allegedly involved in Bangladesh's August 2024 student protests was found listed as a voter in Kakdwip, triggering sharp Bharatiya Janata Party-Trinamool Congress exchanges over alleged illegal infiltration and manipulation of the voter list in the state.
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.
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 move has sparked a political row, with the opposition accusing the BJP of promoting a vegetarian agenda.
West Bengal Food and Supplies Minister Ashok Kirtania has warned of strict action against corruption in the department, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan 'Na khaunga, na khane dunga'. He promised to act against those involved in irregularities during the previous regime, particularly concerning the public distribution system and ration distribution.
A 15-year-old girl from West Bengal, allegedly abducted and trafficked to Greater Noida, was rescued in a joint operation. The accused has been arrested.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah promised one lakh jobs for youths each year based on merit if the BJP won the West Bengal election, and also pledged to make the state free of infiltrators.
'In West Bengal, the BJP's ideology of Hindutva will be customised to cater to the culture and the cultural imperatives of Bengalis.'
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), previously obscure, has gained national attention after 20 rebel TMC MPs merged with it. The Tripura-based party now claims to be the largest parliamentary bloc from West Bengal, holding 20 Lok Sabha seats. Its registered address in Howrah is linked to a couple running an NGO, and a founder member has expressed support for PM Modi and a desire to join the NDA.
In West Bengal's assembly elections, fish has become a potent symbol of Bengali identity, with the Trinamool Congress and BJP clashing over food habits and cultural representation.
The first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections saw a record voter turnout of 91.78 per cent, the highest since Independence, according to the Chief Election Commissioner. Polling took place in 16 districts with women voters outnumbering men. The Election Commission attributed the high turnout to voter-friendly measures.
Built on around 24 acres of land using red sandstone quarried from Bansi Paharpur in Rajasthan, the Jagannath Temple at Digha, also known as Jagannath Dham, is an "architectural marvel, a mixture of intricate carvings and traditional design," an official said.
A man has been arrested in Kolkata for allegedly sending an email threatening a suicide bomb attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
A Delhi court has granted bail to I-PAC co-founder and director Vinesh Chandel in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal, as the Enforcement Directorate did not oppose the bail plea.
The TMC is facing a crisis following its defeat in the West Bengal assembly polls and a rebellion that has significantly weakened its organisational and legislative strength.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to probe the recovery of 79 crude bombs in West Bengal following a directive from the Union Home Ministry.
