Page 23 - Mamata Banerjee

LS polls: Over 45% voter turnout recorded in 9 seats in Bengal till 1 pm

Polling in the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections to nine seats in West Bengal began at 7 am on Saturday amid tight security arrangements, an Election Commission of India (ECI) official said. Voting in Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar seats will continue till 6 pm, he added. A total of 1.63 crore voters, including 83.19 lakh men, 80.20 lakh women and 538 persons of the third gender, are eligible to exercise their franchise at 17,470 polling stations. Of the 124 candidates in the fray, Kolkata Dakshin has the highest at 17, followed by Jadavpur (16), and 15 each in Basirhat and Kolkata Uttar. Fourteen candidates are contesting from Dum Dum, 12 each from Barasat, Diamond Harbour and Mathurapur and 11 in Jaynagar. Several heavyweight candidates, including Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, sitting MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Sougata Roy, and Mala Roy, former Union minister Debas

INDIA bloc's June 1 meet to discuss preparations for counting day: Kharge

The INDIA bloc will hold an informal meeting Saturday only to discuss the preparations for the counting day on June 4 and how its leaders and workers need to stay alert, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said. He said Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has informed that she is busy with the polls that day and therefore, will not be able to attend. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here Thursday, Kharge said the meeting is being held for "our own sake" to train people and to give them information. "This is an informal meeting. In this, we will only discuss what kind of preparation we should have on the day of counting and how our people should be alert, whether it is about EVMs or the 17C form is used... Just for our own sake, we are holding this meeting to train our people and to give them information," he said. Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal also said the meeting is only for discussing about the counting preparations and the

LS polls highlights: Is there a conspiracy behind Naveen Babu's deteriorating health, asks PM Modi

General Elections 2024 Live: Catch all the latest news updates on the Lok Sabha polls here

Centre recovered, returned Rs 17k cr from scams to citizens: Modi in Bengal

During an election rally in West Bengal's Ashoknagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the BJP will return Rs 3,000 crore to the people of Bengal defrauded by the Mamata Banerjee- government

Lok Sabha polls highlights: TMC spreading misinformation about CAA, says PM Modi in Jadavpur

General Elections 2024 Live: Catch all the latest news updates on the Lok Sabha polls here

Cyclone Remal: Closely tracking relief work done by administration, says CM

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday expressed her concern over the damage caused by cyclone Remal in the coastal areas of the state and said that she is closely tracking the relief work done by the administration. She expressed her condolences to the families who lost their members in the natural calamity. "I pray for everyone's safety in the face of cyclone Remal and I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased," Banerjee posted on X. Assuring the people that the ongoing hard times would soon be over, the Bengal CM further extended her heartfelt gratitude to all those who assisted the people, who were in distress due to the cyclone. "While I'm closely keeping track of the relief work, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my brothers and sisters who are providing necessary assistance to the people in this dire situation. We shall overcome!" she added. Banerjee on Monday said that the distribution of compensation for damage to crops and houses wi

Cyclone Remal: CM Mamata thanks administration for taking adequate steps

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday expressed concern regarding the impact of severe cyclone Remal in the state, emphasising that the relatively lower loss of lives amidst the calamity was largely attributable to the precautionary measures enforced by the administration. With five recorded deaths, one in the city and the remaining in districts, Banerjee underscored the necessity of immediate compensation for affected families, while assuring that the administration would adhere to legal protocols in distributing aid for crop and property damages. She pledged to address these issues more comprehensively post the withdrawal of the Model Code of Conduct following the ongoing elections. "West Bengal is a riverine state, on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Every year, we have to face various natural disasters. This time due to the impact of Cyclone Remal, our state has suffered a lot of damage," she wrote on X. "But above all, is human life. Fortunately and certainly due

WB to move higher court to challenge HC order on OBC certificates: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced that her government will approach a higher court, challenging the Calcutta High Court order that cancelled all OBC certificates issued in the state since 2010. Addressing an election rally in Sagar in South 24 Parganas district, she said the state government would appeal to the higher court against the order after summer vacation. We do not accept the order that scrapped OBC certificates. We will contest at a higher court after summer vacation," Banerjee said. The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday struck down as illegal the OBC status of several classes in West Bengal granted since 2010, sparking a political debate in the middle of the Lok Sabha elections. The court observed that the inclusion of 77 classes of Muslims in the list of backward categories was to treat them as a vote bank. Banerjee urged electors "not to cast a single vote to the BJP or any other party except the TMC so that the INDIA bloc can form a govern

Explained| Why did Calcutta HC cancel OBC certificates issued since 2010?

The two-judge bench of Calcutta HC emphasised the total absence of legislative policy in the 2012 scheme that governed the State's authority to classify any group as OBC

Calcutta HC scraps all OBC certificates issued after 2010 in Bengal

Slamming the court's ruling, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the OBC reservation quota introduced by the West Bengal government will continue

Calcutta HC order slap on those indulging in vote bank politics: CM Sai

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday hailed the Calcutta High Court's decision to scrap the OBC status of several classes in West Bengal, calling it a slap in the face of those indulged in appeasement politics through religion-based quota. The HC on Wednesday struck down the OBC (Other Backward Class) status of several classes in Bengal, finding such reservations under a 2012 Act to vacancies in services and posts in the state illegal. It observed that the inclusion of 77 classes of Muslims in the list of backward categories was to treat them as vote bank. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has asserted that she will not accept the order and hinted that her government could challenge it in the Supreme Court. Asked about Banerjee's statement, Sai told reporters here, We welcome the decision of Calcutta High Court over religion-based reservation. It is a slap in the face of those who practise vote bank and appeasement politics by giving ...

Mamata compromising national security for sake of vote-bank politics: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of compromising national security for the sake of vote-bank politics, and committing a sin by allowing infiltrators to change the state's demography. Addressing a poll rally at Kanthi in East Midnapore district, Shah also asserted that the Trinamool Congress will disintegrate, resulting in the farewell of the Mamata Banerjee government after the BJP wins 30 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Bengal has become a safe haven for infiltrators. Due to infiltration, the demography of the state is changing, which is impacting not only Bengal but the entire country. Mamata Banerjee is committing a sin by allowing infiltrators to change the demography of Bengal. She is compromising national security for the sake of vote-bank politics, he alleged. The BJP has maintained that infiltrators are the vote bank of the TMC. Shah also criticised Banerjee's recent comments that certain monks of the Ramakrishna .

Tensions between states may be more dangerous than India's religious divide

India's southern states are also wary of an overbearing north. Regional parties lead opposition to the BJP in the south, as in eastern states such as West Bengal

Bharat Sevashram Sangha monk sends defamation notice to Mamata Banerjee

Hindu religious and spiritual organisation Bharat Sevashram Sangha has distanced itself from the remarks made by monk Swami Pradiptananda against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

Violence mars fifth phase of polls in Bengal, 73% voter turnout till 5 pm

Scattered incidents of violence marred the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls to seven parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal, with 73 per cent of the 1.25 crore voters exercising their franchise till 5 pm on Monday, officials said. Voter turnout was lesser than the previous four phases, and also in comparison to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The final voter turnout for this election, however, will be released later. "Polling was more or less peaceful, barring a few scattered incidents of violence in some constituencies. But we took immediate steps to address those," state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ariz Aftab told PTI. Although no major incident was reported, scattered disturbances could not be averted despite the poll body deploying over 60,000 personnel of central forces, in addition to around 30,000 policemen, the highest number of security forces deployed in any of the phases so far in the state, the official said, adding a total of 1,992 complaints were received. Arambagh Lok

LS polls: Over 48% voter turnout in 7 Bengal constituencies till 1 pm

Polling for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls commenced across seven parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal amid tight security on Monday, an official said. Voting commenced in Bangaon (SC), Barrackpore, Howrah, Uluberia, Sreerampur, Hooghly, and Arambag (SC) Lok Sabha constituencies at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. A total of 1,25,23,702 voters, comprising 63,51,320 men, 61,72,034 women, and 348 belonging to the third gender, are eligible to exercise their franchise across 13,481 polling stations. The Election Commission has designated over 57 per cent of the polling stations as sensitive and deployed over 60,000 personnel of central forces, in addition to around 30,000 policemen. The number of security forces deployed for this phase surpasses that of any of the four earlier phases in the state. A total of 88 candidates are contesting in the fifth phase, with the highest number of 15 candidates in Bongaon, where Union Minister Shantanu Thakur is contesting against TMC's

Congress Chief Kharge lauds Adhir Ranjan as party's combative soldier

Days after snubbing him for questioning the trustworthiness of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday heaped praise on West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, lauding him as a "combative soldier" of the party. Kharge had snubbed Chowdhury, five-time Lok Sabha MP from Bahrampur, last week for his remarks that Banerjee cannot be trusted and that she might go with the BJP. "Vo hamarey ladaku sipahi hain (combative solider)," he said about Chowdhury, who has only intensified his offensive against the West Bengal chief minister by alleging that she has used violence to crush the Congress in the state and has been helping the BJP. Asked if the Congress was making the same mistake with Chowdhury as it had made with Banerjee in 1998 when she had quit the party to form her own protesting its coyness in the face of Left "atrocities" on party cadres in Bengal, Kharge told PTI, "I do not want to speak about an individual. He is a combative soldie

PM Modi slams Mamata for her remarks on RKM, Bharat Sevashram Sangha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condemned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks against Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha and said threats are being issued against these socio-religious organisations to "appease" one's vote bank. Addressing a rally in Purulia, Modi said the TMC has crossed the limits of decency by stooping so low that it is "spreading canards against ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha". The TMC has gone beyond its limits by spreading canards against ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha. West Bengal Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) is threatening them. They are threatening them just to appease their vote bank, he said. Addressing an election rally in Goghat under the Arambagh Lok Sabha constituency, Banerjee had claimed, "Some monks of Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha are working under the influence of BJP leaders in Delhi. Those who are looking after temples are doing great .

Industrialists afraid to come to WB under Mamata's rule: Union Min Sarkar

Maintaining that investors were afraid to come to West Bengal, Union minister Subhas Sarkar claimed that businesses will stay away from the state as long as the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government is in power. Sarkar said the TMC's land acquisition policy and allegations of across-the-board corruption were to blame for the poor job situation in Bengal. "Industrialists shy away from coming to West Bengal. There is a dire need to change this government to attract investment in the state," Sarkar, the Union Minister of State for Education, told PTI in an interview. The TMC had risen to power in 2011 over its anti-forcible land grab policy plank, and agitations over land acquisition by the erstwhile Left Front government in Nandigram and Singur. The Left has repeatedly claimed that the acquisitions were meant for the re-industrialisation of the state and creating job opportunities for the youth. Stating that problems of unemployment and migration of labour from Bengal to

Hours after Kharge's snub, Adhir Ranjan sticks to his anti-Mamata stance

In a veiled reference to West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said he cannot speak in favour of someone who wants to finish him politically and his party in the state. His comment comes hours after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asserted that Chowdhury is no one to take a decision on whether Banerjee would be part of the INDIA bloc in the event of the anti-BJP alliance coming to power after the Lok Sabha polls. Asked about Kharge's statement, Chowdhury, who is seeking re-election from Baharampur on a Congress ticket, said, I cannot speak in favour of someone who wants to finish me politically and our party in Bengal. This is a battle for every Congress worker. I have spoken on their behalf. Stating that his opposition to Banerjee stemmed from his principled stance, not from his interest, Chowdhury said There is no personal grudge but I question her political ethics." Asked about Mamata Banerjee's comment