Mamata Banerjee

Mamata calls officials' transfers 'highest order of political interference'

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, ...

West Bengal Assembly polls: Trinamool Congress drops 74 sitting MLAs

Mamata Banerjee's TMC drops 74 sitting MLAs in Bengal poll list, signalling a generational shift; Congress also unveils first list for Kerala Assembly elections

Mamata accuses EC of transferring officers at BJP's behest before polls

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 ...

Mamata to take on Suvendu in Bhabanipur as TMC releases candidate list

Betting on calibrated generational change and organisational loyalty rather than star power, the ruling TMC on Tuesday unveiled candidates for 291 of the 294 West Bengal assembly seats, signalling a strategy of controlled churn as it seeks a fourth straight term in office. The Mamata Banerjee-Suvendu Adhikari rivalry is set to acquire a fresh electoral theatre in Bhabanipur, where the chief minister will defend her seat even as the BJP has fielded the leader of opposition from the constituency. The stage is set for a direct face-off between the two rivals who first clashed in Nandigram in the 2021 assembly polls, when Adhikari defeated his former mentor by a narrow margin despite the TMC's sweeping victory across the state. Announcing the list from her Kalighat residence, Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said the party would leave the three Darjeeling hills seats to ally Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) led by Anit Thapa and expressed confidence of crossing .

West Bengal elections: Another Banerjee vs Adhikari showdown likely

BJP fields Suvendu Adhikari from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur as part of strategy to challenge Mamata Banerjee in upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls

Mamata Banerjee raises monthly honorarium for purohits, muezzins by ₹500

Hours before the scheduled announcement of assembly polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday announced an increase of Rs 500 in the monthly honorarium for purohits and muezzins. With the revision, the beneficiaries will now receive Rs 2,000 per month. "I am pleased to announce an increase of Rs 500 in the monthly honorarium extended to our purohits and muezzins, whose service sustains the spiritual and social life of our communities. With this revision, they will now receive Rs 2,000 per month," she said in an X post. The chief minister said the state government has approved all fresh applications submitted by purohits and muezzins for the honorarium. "At the same time, all fresh applications that have been duly submitted by purohits and muezzins have also been approved by the state government," Banerjee said. Highlighting the government's stance on religious harmony and support for traditional institutions, she added, "We take pride in nurturing an environment

WB govt to clear DA arrears of its employees, pensioners from March 2026

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

'Countdown has begun, change in Bengal inevitable': PM Modi in Kolkata

Addressing a rally in Kolkata ahead of West Bengal Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the TMC government of lawlessness and announced infrastructure projects worth ₹18,680 crore

PM arrives in Kolkata, to unveil development projects worth over ₹18,500 cr

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

Ahead of polls, CM Mamata announces development boards for 5 communities

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

RN Ravi sworn in as 22nd governor of Bengal after predecessor's resignation

Former IPS officer R N Ravi took oath as the 22nd governor of West Bengal at a ceremony in Lok Bhavan on Thursday morning. He was administered the oath by Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, Sujoy Paul, in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee, senior minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim and Left Front chairman Biman Bose. No leader from the opposition BJP camp, however, was present at the programme. Several senior bureaucrats, including Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty and senior police officers, also attended the event. Ravi was appointed the governor of West Bengal following the resignation of his predecessor C V Ananda Bose on March 5. Ravi had earlier served as the governor of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu.

PM Modi accuses Bengal govt of insulting President Murmu during state visit

Accusing the West Bengal government of insulting President Droupadi Murmu during her visit to the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it was "shameful and unprecedented" and the TMC dispensation has "truly crossed all limits". The prime minister was reacting after President Murmu expressed her displeasure over the change of venue of the Santal conference, which she attended in the state, and the absence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her ministers during her visit. PM Modi said that the office of the President is above politics and its sanctity should always be respected. He expressed the hope that better sense will prevail among the West Bengal government and the ruling TMC. "This is shameful and unprecedented. Everyone who believes in democracy and the empowerment of tribal communities is disheartened," Modi said in a post on 'X' The prime minister said that the pain and anguish expressed by the President, who herself hails from a tribal ...

Bengal to give ₹1,500 monthly allowance to jobless Class 10 passouts: CM

Ahead of the assembly polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that from Saturday unemployed young job seekers, having passed secondary examination (class 10), will receive Rs 1,500 allowance every month to help them move towards a self-reliant future. The TMC supremo made this announcement - on the eve of International Women's Day on March 8 - during her speech at the sit-in against large-scale deletion of names of voters by the Election Commission during Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral roll exercise. She said young men and women - aged 2140 years - who have passed the secondary exams - will receive Rs 1,500 per month from March 7. Bannerjee said while the assistance was originally scheduled to begin in April, it will now start immediately. "In the case of Yuva Sathi, all those who are still studying and are not beneficiaries of any schemes other than scholarships will receive the amount. We had earlier stated that the money would be given on April 1. Bu

Voter deletions in post-SIR rolls aimed at dividing Bengal: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that voter deletions in the post-SIR electoral rolls were aimed at dividing the state. Addressing a gathering during her demonstration against the alleged arbitrary deletions from the electoral roll in the state, Banerjee accused the BJP of depriving Bengali-speaking people of their voting rights. The CM continued her protest for the second consecutive day on Saturday, after she spent the night at the sit-in site at Metro Channel in central Kolkata. "Their (Election Commission and BJP) intent is to divide Bengal. The BJP is planning to take away votes by dividing Bengal and turn parts of the state into a union territory. They (BJP leaders) are subjecting Bengali-speaking people to harassment in other states and are conspiring to deprive Bengalis of their voting rights," Banerjee alleged at the protest site. The chief minister claimed that a day ago, she saw in a tweet that Bengal and Bihar could be divided to form a uni

Voter deletions in post-SIR electoral rolls for dividing Bengal: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that voter deletions in the post-SIR electoral rolls were aimed at dividing the state. Addressing a gathering during her demonstration against the alleged arbitrary deletions from the electoral roll in the state, Banerjee accused the BJP of depriving Bengali-speaking people of their voting rights. The CM continued her protest for the second consecutive day on Saturday, after she spent the night at the sit-in site here. "Their (Election Commission and BJP) intent is to divide Bengal. The BJP is planning to take away votes by dividing Bengal. They (BJP leaders) are subjecting Bengali-speaking people to harassment in other states and are conspiring to deprive Bengalis of their voting rights," Banerjee alleged at the protest site. The TMC supremo had begun the demonstration at Metro Channel in central Kolkata on Friday, accusing the Election Commission of conspiring with the BJP to "disenfranchise Bengal voters" ahead of th

Mamata to begin sit-in today on voter roll deletions ahead of Bengal polls

Ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will start a sit-in here on Friday to protest against the alleged arbitrary deletions in the post-SIR electoral rolls in the state. The protest comes just two days before the proposed visit of the full bench of the Election Commission to the state. The sit-in, scheduled from 2 pm at the Esplanade Metro Channel in central Kolkata, was announced by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday. He had accused the Election Commission of carrying out a "politically motivated" exercise that could disenfranchise lakhs of legitimate voters months ahead of the assembly elections. The protest marks a dramatic political escalation by the ruling party just days after the Election Commission published the post-SIR electoral rolls, which have significantly redrawn the contours of the state's electorate. According to official data released on February 28, 63.66 lakh names, around 8.3 per cent of the elector

'Mamata should be ashamed,' Shivraj slams Bengal govt over law and order

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday slammed the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal over the law and order situation, and alleged that it was sheltering infiltrators. The BJP leader also accused the TMC of preparing fake Aadhaar and voter cards for infiltrators and attempting to change the region's demography. "Mamata Banerjee should be ashamed. Though Bengal has a female CM, cases of rape and torture of women continue," Chouchan said while addressing a 'Poriborton Yatra' rally here in North 24 Parganas district. "TMC is trying to change the demography of this region by giving shelter to infiltrators," Chouhan said. On border security, he claimed that the TMC government is not providing land for fencing along the Bangladesh border, as it would stop infiltrators from entering India. Chouhan promised action against all those crimes if the BJP comes to power in the state.

I-PAC raids: SC adjourns to Mar 18 ED's plea against interference by Mamata

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to March 18 the hearing on a plea moved by the ED alleging obstruction by the West Bengal government, including by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its search operation at the I-PAC office and the premises of its director in connection with an alleged coal pilferage scam. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and KV Viswanathan deferred the matter after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that a rejoinder will be filed during the day. The top court on January 15 said the West Bengal chief minister's alleged "obstruction" in ED's probe is "very serious" and agreed to examine if a state's law-enforcing agencies can interfere with any central agency's probe into any serious offence as it stayed FIRs against the agency's officials who raided political consultancy I-PAC on January 8. The top court, while staying the FIRs filed in West Bengal against ED officials, also directed the state police to protect the CCTV footage of the ...

I-PAC raids: SC adjourns ED plea against Mamata's 'interference' to Feb 18

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to February 18 the hearing on a plea moved by the ED alleging obstruction by the West Bengal government, including by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its search operation at the I-PAC office and the premises of its director in connection with an alleged coal pilferage scam. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Sandeep Mehta deferred the matter after it was informed that senior advocate Kapil Sibal was unwell. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta agreed to the adjournment. The top court on January 15 said the West Bengal chief minister's alleged "obstruction" in ED's probe is "very serious" and agreed to examine if a state's law-enforcing agencies can interfere with any central agency's probe into any serious offence as it stayed FIRs against the agency's officials who raided political consultancy I-PAC on January 8. The top court, while staying the FIRs filed in West Bengal against ED officials, also directed the state police to protect

Bengal Budget signals poll-year outreach: Why experts are hardly surprised

The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC govt continues to focus on women-centric and welfare schemes, ahead of crucial elections