Explore Business Standard
West Bengal
The CPI(M)-led Left Front is making job creation its main plank in the upcoming West Bengal assembly election to attract young voters back to its fold. CPI(M) central committee member Samik Lahiri said the party is banking on a large number of young candidates fielded by it this elections as well as young volunteers to gain the support of the younger generation, a crucial factor for the Left as it suffered a huge dent in support from these sections in the last few elections in the state. "The main plank of our campaign is job creation," he said. "There is no job in the state; nearly 1.25 crore people, from unskilled to super-skilled, have left the state owing to lack of employment," the CPI(M) leader told PTI. He said that the Left Front has developed an alternative job creation policy for the state, which it will unveil in its manifesto for the assembly elections. The Left Front's poll manifesto is in its final stages and will be released very soon, Lahiri said. "We are placing
The first supplementary voter list in West Bengal is likely to be published on March 23, an Election Commission official said on Friday. The scheduled release on March 19 was deferred at the last moment as the process was not yet completed. The official said preparations are underway to display the updated voter list across nearly 80,000 polling booths in the state once it is finalised by next Monday. The publication of the supplementary list assumes significance as it is likely to include the names of voters whose applications were marked as "under adjudication" after the final electoral roll was published on February 28. According to the poll official, over 60 lakh names were initially marked as "under adjudication", of which more than 27 lakh cases have been disposed of till Friday afternoon. The delay in publication triggered political reactions, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleging that eligible voters were being harassed due to the delay. The EC official attached to
A man died after allegedly getting trapped in a lift at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in north Kolkata on Friday, sparking a political storm ahead of the Assembly elections, with the opposition BJP alleging negligence and demanding a murder probe. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari termed the death "murder" and held Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also heads the health department, along with Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam and hospital authorities, responsible. "I have documents with me... they intentionally killed (the man) using a lift that was being repaired. A case of murder should be immediately registered," Adhikari told reporters while campaigning in Purba Medinipur. According to the victim's family, the man, in his early 40s, got stuck inside the elevator when it suddenly malfunctioned. They alleged that the lift was under maintenance, had no operator on duty, and was not properly secured. A senior hospital official said the man was ..
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said the efforts of the Election Commission to "gerrymander" will not change the results in West Bengal Assembly elections, expressing confidence that Trinamool Congress will emerge victorious. "No amount of effort by the Election Commission to gerrymander will change the results. Come counting day Mamata Didi will win a thumping majority," Abdullah posted on his personal X handle. Commenting on the large-scale transfers ordered by the Election Commission in the poll-bound state, Abdullah said these things happen only in the states where the BJP is not in power. "These sweeping transfers only happen in non-BJP ruled states & especially in West Bengal but that's no surprise. However, West Bengal will once again prove what I have always believed to be true - officers don't win elections for political parties, the leaders of political parties do," he added. After announcing the schedule for the Assembly polls, the EC has ...
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed alarm over the "arbitrary removal of more than 50 senior officials" in the poll-bound state, terming it a "political interference of the highest order". Continuing with her tirade against the Election Commission, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo claimed that such action amounted to "systematic politicisation of institutions" and a "direct assault on the Constitution". After announcing the schedule for the assembly polls, the Election Commission has ordered several reshuffles of senior officers, including the transfer of Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty, Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena, and the removal of DGP Peeyush Pandey and Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar. On Wednesday, the poll body ordered a fresh reshuffle of senior officers, posting two secretaries to other poll-bound states as observers, and deploying 13 IAS and five IPS officers in key poll management roles. Slamming the poll body, ...
The Election Commission (EC) has sought a detailed report from the Kolkata Police on the alleged attack on senior Trinamool Congress leader and state minister Shashi Panja's residence here ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally last week, a senior official said. The initial report submitted by the city police was found to be incomplete, lacking crucial details about the incident. "The earlier report did not contain a full account of the sequence of events and key inputs. A comprehensive report has now been sought," an EC official said on Wednesday. The commission has asked for clarity on the timeline of the incident, the role of the police, and the intelligence inputs available prior to the incident in north Kolkata's Girish Park area, he said. Questions were also being raised over the utilisation of central forces deployed in the state. "It is being examined why, despite the presence of central forces, they were not actively engaged, and why the local police handled the ..
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the EC, alleging that senior administrative and police officers were being transferred ahead of the assembly polls at the behest of the BJP. She warned that the poll body and the saffron party would be responsible if any untoward incident happens in the state. Addressing reporters while announcing the Trinamool Congress candidate list for the 2026 assembly elections, Banerjee questioned the timing of the changes in key administrative posts, particularly ahead of Eid. "Why are senior officers being transferred just before Eid? Are there plans to trigger riots before elections?" she said. The chief minister alleged that the list of officers who were transferred was prepared at the BJP's office and the decision was merely implemented by the Election Commission. She further alleged that some officials from outside West Bengal had been brought in to assist the BJP in the electoral ...
The Election Commission on Tuesday ordered the transfer of 19 senior police officers, including the ADGs for North and South Bengal, in another reshuffle ahead of the assembly elections in the state. IPS officer Rajesh Kumar Singh was appointed the new ADG of South Bengal, while K Jayaraman was named the ADG of North Bengal. Both belonged to the 1997 batch, according to a statement. New commissioners of police were appointed for Asansol-Durgapur, Howrah, Barrackpore and Chandannagar. Superintendents of 12 districts were also changed in the latest reshuffle. The elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held in two phases, on April 23 and 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted searches at multiple locations in poll-bound West Bengal as part of a probe into the operations of an alleged illegal call centre, officials said. About 10 premises in Siliguri, Howrah, Bidhannagar and Durgapur were raided. The probe pertains to the activities of an "illegal" call centre, the officials of the federal probe agency said. It was not immediately clear if the probe is linked to some political funding or inducements linked to the electoral process. Persons named Surashree Kar, Samrat Ghosh and Subhajit Chakraborty, apart from some others, are those being searched. A number of people are alleged to have been duped through the call centres that are under the scanner, they said. The Election Commission on Sunday announced the schedule for the assembly polls in West Bengal, stating that the state will have polls in two phases on April 23 and 29. Votes will be counted on May 4 along with three states of Assam, Kerala and Tam
Barely hours after the announcement of the West Bengal assembly poll schedule, the Election Commission removed two of the top bureaucrats, including Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty, of the Mamata Banerjee administration. The commission appointed Dushyant Nariala, an IAS officer of the 1993 batch, as the state's chief secretary, and said Chakravorty would be kept out of poll-related assignments. The poll panel also removed West Bengal's Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena. In a letter to the state government sent on Sunday night, the poll panel also directed the appointment of Sanghamitra Ghosh, a 1997-batch IAS officer, as principal secretary, Home and Hill Affairs. "...the officers transferred out shall not be posted in any election-related posts till the completion of elections," the communication, signed by commission secretary Sujeet Kr Mishra, said. The EC said the decision to remove the two officers was taken following a review of the poll preparedness of the state. The
As the BJP prepares for the West Bengal assembly elections in its bid to challenge the ruling TMC, several leaders, such as Suvendu Adhikari, are expected to play key roles in shaping its high-stakes campaign. From securing just about 4 per cent vote share in the 2011 assembly elections to emerging as the principal opposition with over 38 per cent vote share in 2021, the BJP has significantly expanded its political footprint in West Bengal. The party at present has 12 Lok Sabha MPs and more than 65 MLAs in the state. Some of the prominent faces of the party who are likely to fight the elections are as follows, Suvendu Adhikari: Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, Suvendu Adhikari remains one of the BJP's most prominent leaders in the state and is expected to play a central role in the upcoming elections. A former TMC leader who joined the BJP ahead of the 2021 polls, Adhikari gained national attention after defeating Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram, one of the mos
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday announced that her government will clear DA arrears of its employees and pensioners, including teachers, non-teaching staffers, and workers of grant-in-aid institutions, from March this year. The announcement came within minutes of hiking the honorarium for purohits and muezzins, ahead of the scheduled announcement of state assembly polls. "They will start receiving their ROPA 2009 DA arrears from March 2026 onwards as per the modalities detailed out in the notifications issued by our finance department," Banerjee said in a post on X. The arrears relate to the Revision of Pay and Allowances (ROPA) 2009, a long-standing demand of government employees and pensioners, covering salaries and allowances of teachers, municipal and panchayat staffers, and other grant-in-aid institutions. A section of state government employees had moved the Supreme Court on the contentious issue, demanding clearance of DA dues. The top court ordered the
Clashes broke out between TMC and BJP supporters in central Kolkata on Saturday, barely half an hour before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at the Brigade Parade Ground, leaving a police officer and a leader of the saffron party injured, officials said. Amid the violence, allegations also surfaced that stones were thrown towards the residence of West Bengal minister Shashi Panja in Girish Park area. The violence took place around 5 km from the rally venue as BJP supporters were marching towards the Brigade Parade Ground to attend the prime minister's meeting, which marks the culmination of the party's statewide 'Parivartan Yatra' ahead of the Assembly elections. According to eyewitnesses, supporters of both parties allegedly hurled stones at each other and raised slogans, triggering tension in the area. BJP leaders alleged that their supporters were attacked without provocation while heading towards the rally venue. "Stones were thrown at us without any provocation. Abuses we
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit West Bengal on Saturday to address a rally at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground here and unveil development projects worth around Rs 18,680 crore, in his first trip to the state after the publication of the post-SIR electoral rolls last month. The rally, organised by the BJP, will mark the culmination of the party's statewide 'Parivartan Yatra' ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. After the surge in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the setback in the 2021 assembly polls, the BJP's yatra is being seen as its most expansive statewide mobilisation in recent years. The yatra, which began on March 1, a day after the publication of the revised electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision exercise, criss-crossed nearly 5,000 km across the state, covering 237 assembly constituencies. According to official data released on February 28, following the SIR exercise, 63.66 lakh names, around 8.3 per cent of the electorate, have been deleted since
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced that her government would constitute new cultural and development boards for five communities. Banerjee, who made the announcement ahead of the assembly polls, said the boards will safeguard the customary rights and ensure socio-economic growth of these communities. "I am pleased to announce that our government intends to constitute soon five new Cultural and Development Boards for the Munda (ST), Kora (ST), Dom (SC), Kumbhakar (OBC) and Sadgope (OBC) communities," she said in a social media post. Stating that these communities are integral to the vibrant fabric of the state, the CM said, "The boards will protect their unique languages and traditions while ensuring better education, healthcare, and jobs." Banerjee said that since 2013, her government has established many such boards for our weaker communities, ensuring their all-around development. "We remain dedicated to ensuring no community is left behind," she said
A commotion broke out outside Khadya Bhavan, the headquarters of the West Bengal Food and Civil Supplies Department, on Friday as a section of state government employees tried to prevent colleagues from entering the office during a 'cease-work' agitation over pending dearness allowance. The protest was called by the 'Sangrami Joutha Mancha' (Joint Movement Forum) to press the state government for payment of DA arrears, and implementation of a recent Supreme Court direction on the issue. Forum leader Bhaskar Ghosh claimed that most state government employees abstained from work, and said the protesters appealed to those who turned up to stay away in solidarity with the agitation. "We offered red roses to those who came to work, requesting them not to attend office today. Many listened, while those who did not acted as per their conscience," he told reporters. Ghosh denied allegations that protesters blocked vehicles from entering the premises on Free School Street, and alleged that