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 directed all state-run and aided schools to mandatorily include the singing of Vande Mataram during morning assemblies with immediate effect.
Special police observer Ajay Pal Sharma toured West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district during the second phase of Assembly elections, facing political controversy and allegations of intimidation from TMC leaders.
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has urged the Congress and CPI(M) to set aside their differences and unite under the INDIA bloc to fight the BJP in West Bengal. This marks a significant shift in the TMC's stance, which has historically been a bitter rival to the Congress and Left in the state.
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.
West Bengal's annual July 21 Martyrs' Day observance has transformed into an unprecedented political contest, with three rival camps - Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, a breakaway TMC faction, and the Congress - holding parallel programmes in central Kolkata, each vying for legacy and organisational strength.
After nearly 19 years, exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen returned to Kolkata, calling it a deeply emotional homecoming.
Trinamool Congress supporters protested against an Election Commission-appointed IPS officer in West Bengal, accusing him of intimidating party workers ahead of the second phase of polling.
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.
Protests erupted across several districts of West Bengal over alleged harassment of people in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, leading to road blockages and tyre burning. Demonstrations were held in South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Jhargram, and Purba Medinipur.
'After more than 12 years in power, he has been forced to retreat under public pressure. The education minister's resignation is the biggest political climbdown of his government so far.'
The BJP experienced a mixed bag of results in the West Bengal Assembly elections, with several heavyweight candidates securing victories while others faced defeat. Key wins included Dilip Ghosh, Suvendu Adhikari, and others, but some prominent faces failed to win.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the TMC, accusing the party of looting West Bengal for 15 years, destroying the state's identity through corruption and infiltration, and turning Jadavpur University into a symbol of disorder.
Fresh tension gripped Bhangar and adjoining areas of South 24 Parganas during the second and final phase of West Bengal Assembly elections, with the ISF alleging intimidation of polling agents and attempts to influence voters by TMC workers.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has ordered a special investigation into alleged fake beneficiaries of the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, a women's cash transfer programme from the previous government, also initiating a money laundering probe.
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee claimed he suffered head injuries after being mobbed in front of a police station in West Bengal's Hooghly district. He alleged BJP supporters were responsible for the attack after he visited to submit a memorandum against the arrest of party workers after the Assembly elections.
Repolling is taking place in 15 booths across two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, following reports of electoral malpractices during the previous phase of voting. The Election Commission ordered the repolls, and voting is being conducted under tight security with webcasting to monitor the proceedings.
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.
Eight individuals have been arrested in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district for allegedly attempting to storm the Falta police station to free jailed TMC leader Jahangir Khan. Police have named Khan's wife as the alleged mastermind behind the foiled plan, which involved mobilising supporters during a protest.
Incidents of violence and vandalism were reported from parts of West Bengal during the early hours of voting in the second phase of the assembly elections on Wednesday, police said. The incidents were reported from multiple locations, including Chapra, Shantipur, Nimtala and Bhangar, they said.
The Congress party has alleged that the death of a party worker in Asansol, West Bengal, was a political murder, while police say it was the result of an altercation over car parking.
Two individuals have been arrested in Kolkata for allegedly throwing eggs at Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh outside Mamata Banerjee's residence. The incident, which saw one egg strike Ghosh, is under police investigation to determine the motive, with Ghosh expressing concern over potential minor charges leading to quick bail. This attack is part of a series of protests faced by TMC leaders across West Bengal following recent Assembly elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a strong attack on the TMC in West Bengal, accusing them of corruption and syndicate rule, while promising to address atrocities against women if the BJP comes to power.
The TMC has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of presenting a misleading picture of employment and development in West Bengal during his recent rally, alleging that the central government owes the state significant dues.
'Now if you break the party under the 10th Schedule you have to join another party.' 'You cannot join the NDA as it is not a party. You can only join another party, and that is the BJP.' 'So the question to ask is that these so-called 20 TMC Lok Sabha MPs who are parting ways with the TMC, are they ready to join the BJP and accept Narendra Modi as their leader?'
In a significant move before the West Bengal assembly elections, the Election Commission has ordered a major reshuffle of the state's police force, transferring 19 senior officers to ensure fair and secure elections.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has vowed to remove the BJP from power in West Bengal and then at the national level, accusing the Election Commission of favouring the BJP and criticising the opposition parties.
BJP's Panihati candidate Ratna Debnath faced protests by TMC workers when she visited a booth in the assembly constituency in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district where polling was underway. She also accused the ruling party activists of preventing her from leaving the booth premises, following an altercation with them over an allegation of influencing voters.
Heavy police and central forces deployment outside Mamata Banerjee's Kolkata residence has sparked a political row. The TMC alleges it's to prevent her from visiting the family of an 11-year-old rape and murder victim in Baruipur, while the BJP claims it's routine security. This comes amidst public outrage and violence following the girl's death.
The BJP has nominated the mother of a victim in the RG Kar case from Panihati constituency for the upcoming West Bengal elections, aiming to leverage public outrage over the incident. This move is part of a broader strategy to challenge the ruling TMC by highlighting issues of women's safety and governance.
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.
Swarup Biswas, brother of former West Bengal sports minister Arup Biswas, has been arrested in connection with an alleged extortion racket targeting the Tollygunge film and television industry. The arrest followed a complaint from a makeup artist who was allegedly asked for money for employment and threatened. Police are investigating multiple allegations of extortion and criminal intimidation, with protests erupting outside the police station following his arrest.
Swarup Biswas, brother of former West Bengal sports minister Arup Biswas, has been arrested in connection with an alleged extortion racket targeting the Tollygunge film and television industry. The arrest followed a complaint from a makeup artist who was allegedly asked for money for employment and threatened. Police are investigating multiple allegations of extortion and criminal intimidation, with protests erupting outside the police station following his arrest.
Truck drivers in Manipur's Imphal West district are protesting and have suspended the transport of goods following the killing of a commercial vehicle driver. The protest is taking place at Keithelmanbi, with truckers demanding improved security measures along National Highway 37.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of manipulating voter rolls to divide the state, alleging a conspiracy to deprive Bengali-speaking people of their voting rights. She claims the Election Commission is complicit in deleting lakhs of names from voter lists.
Opposition leaders across party lines have condemned the forced removal of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site in Delhi, accusing the BJP-led central government of undermining democratic freedoms, curbing dissent, and choosing force over dialogue.
A BJP government in Bengal inherits more problems than it might care to admit at its moment of triumph, points out Ramesh Menon
Holding Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for alleged police brutalities on protesting students, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said that "Jan Shakti" (people's power) will "drag him out" one day to make him accountable.
The mother of the RG Kar Medical College victim is entering West Bengal politics as a BJP candidate to fight against the TMC government and seek justice for her daughter's case in the upcoming Assembly election.
Tension prevailed in parts of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district after a BJP leader's close aide was shot dead, prompting increased security measures and protests.
