Page 11 - Tmc

TMC's last Budget before polls lays focus on job creation, DA hiked by 4%

Given the focus on social sector schemes, the state is planning market borrowing of over Rs 81,972 crore in 2025-26, projecting the total outstanding debt to go up to Rs 7,71,670 crore

BJP's Bengal unit hails Delhi poll results, TMC maintains silence

The BJP West Bengal unit on Saturday hailed the party's good performance in the Delhi Assembly polls, terming it a rejection of corruption and nepotism, while the TMC, which had backed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), maintained silence on the outcome. BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said the verdict in Delhi reflected people's faith in development and would serve as a morale booster for party workers in West Bengal ahead of next year's assembly elections. The BJP is poised to form a government in Delhi after more than 26 years, with the latest Election Commission trends showing the saffron party ahead in 45 of the 70 assembly seats and AAP in 21 seats. "The people of Bengal will also vote for the BJP in the next assembly polls and reject the TMC," Majumdar said. Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, took to X to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the victory, calling it a decisive mandate against AAP. "Huge Victory fo

WB emerged as 'powerhouse of growth, opportunity': Mamata after biz summit

A day after the eighth edition of her government's business summit concluded, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said the state has emerged "as a powerhouse of growth and opportunity" as 1.72 crore people have been lifted out of poverty. The two-day Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) 2025 yielded 212 MoUs and Letters of Intent with investment proposals amounting to Rs 4,40,595 crore, she said. In a post on X, Banerjee said, "Yesterday, as I stood at the Bengal Global Business Summit, surrounded by policymakers, corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and global visionaries, I saw a dream unfolding before my eyes. "1.72 crore people have been lifted out of poverty, and Bengal emerged as a powerhouse of growth and opportunity. I am proud to share that this year's BGBS has yielded 212 MoUs and Letters of Intent, with investment proposals totalling Rs 4,40,595 crore". The chief minister said that after assuming office in 2011, she vowed to steer Bengal towards a future of

Shatrughan Sinha takes 'prachar mantri' jibe at PM, bats for AAP in Delhi

TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha on Sunday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a "prachar mantri" who spent 10 to 12 hours daily on promotion. The actor-turned-politician was taking part in a poll rally in support of AAP candidate Atishi. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and AAP are partners in the opposition INDIA bloc. "Our honourable promotion minster Promotion minister means prime minister," Sinha said in a jibe at Modi. "He is my friend and my prime minister. It is said that he works 18 hours a day but I find him doing promotional work for 10 to 12 hours. Be it a councillor, MLA or parliamentary election, wherever you see, our honourable prime minster always goes there," Sinha said. The TMC MP cited instances of Modi's previous election promises such as two crore jobs, doubling of farmers' income, Rs 15 lakh in the bank account of each person and alleged these promises were not fulfilled. "Farmers' income, which used to be Rs 32 daily, has fallen to Rs 27. What will

Union Budget 2025: Budget only for polls and allies, says Opposition

Several Chief Ministers, including Tamil Nadu's M K Stalin and Karnataka's Siddaramaiah, criticised the Budget for ignoring the demands and needs of their states, while favouring only Bihar

'Nothing for Bengal' in Union Budget , says TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday claimed that the Union Budget 2025-26 has "nothing" for West Bengal, alleging that the state continues to remain "deprived" under the BJP-led NDA rule at the Centre. Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary, who was talking to reporters in Delhi after the budget presentation in Parliament, said several announcements were made for Bihar as the assembly elections there are due later this year. Bihar remained in focus in the presentation of the Union Budget for the 2025-26 fiscal with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman making several announcements for the state, including setting up of a makhana board, financial assistance for western Kosi canal and support for enhancing the capacity of IIT Patna. "There has been nothing for Bengal in the Union Budget. As in the past during the BJP's reign, there has not been enough allocation for the state in this budget. Our (TMC) MPs have been vocal and have sought a rise in the allocation

Wait and watch as RS dy speaker yet unlikely: TMC leader Derek O'Brien

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien has said a deputy speaker may not be appointed even during the current Budget session, even as he asked people to "wait and watch" if the opposition brings another impeachment motion against Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. In a post published on his blog on the first day of the Budget session of Parliament, the TMC Parliamentary party leader in RS shared notes on the upcoming Session, and said speeches by two women President Droupadi Murmu, and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who will present the Budget will dominate the news space in the next few days. He, however, added that of the six largest political parties, Trinamool Congress at 39 per cent has the highest number of women lawmakers. In contrast, Telugu Desam Party has 6 per cent women MPs, BJP has 13 per cent, and INC, DMK and SP have 14 per cent each, he said. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's saying that India has massive scope for live concerts, the TMC leader wondere

TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha to campaign for AAP ahead of Delhi Assembly polls

Trinamool Congress MP Shatrughan Sinha will campaign for the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi ahead of the February 5 Assembly polls, party sources said on Tuesday. According to a highly placed source, Sinha, the TMC MP from Asansol, will canvass for the AAP in at least three constituencies on February 1 and 2. These include former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's New Delhi constituency, Chief Minister Atishi's Kalkaji constituency, and Manish Sisodia's Jangpura constituency. The TMC believes that the actor-turned-politician, who hails from Bihar, could mobilise Delhi's 'Purvanchali' voters, a term referring to migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The Purvanchalis are an influential voter base in the city. The source added that "one or two more" TMC leaders may join the campaigning in Delhi. The TMC had extended support to the AAP for the Delhi polls, where the BJP and the Congress are also in the fray making it a triangular contest. The TMC and the AAP are part of the INDIA bloc which

R G Kar victim's parents being used by those who conspire against govt: TMC

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh on Saturday alleged that the parents of the R G Kar hospital victim are being "used" by the forces which want to "defame, malign and plot conspiracy against the Mamata Banerjee government". His comment comes a day after the parents of the deceased doctor at the R G Kar hospital said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cannot disown the responsibility for the alleged attempt of the police and hospital authorities to destroy evidence of rape and murder of their daughter. They attempted to shield the main conspirators behind the crime, while the CBI failed to bring to book all the perpetrators and overlooked the larger conspiracy aspect, the parents claimed on Friday. Ghosh alleged, "The parents of the deceased doctor are being used by forces which want to defame, malign and plot conspiracy against the Mamata Banerjee government and derail the process to ensure justice for the woman medic. Please don't let yourself be used by any ...

Parl panel must question Meta on fact-check, hate speech rules: TMC MP

If Meta executives are summoned by the Parliamentary standing committee on communications and information technology, they should be questioned about the company's decision to stop fact-checking and changes in its content guidelines on hate speech and disinformation, panel member and TMC MP Saket Gokhale said on Wednesday. Gokhale's remarks come a day after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who heads the panel, said the committee will summon executives from social media giant Meta for "tarnishing" India's image amid a controversy over its CEO Mark Zuckerberg's statement during a podcast that after the COVID-19 pandemic, most incumbent governments, including the one in India, lost elections in 2024. In a letter to Dubey, Gokhale said that in the same interview, Zuckerberg also announced that the platform would be ending its fact-check programme and would also be making changes to its community guidelines. "It has been reported on several occasions that there has been a significant misuse of Me

TMC suspends ex-MP Santanu Sen, ex-MLA Arabul Islam over internal discord

The ruling TMC on Friday suspended its former Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen and ex-MLA Arabul Islam for alleged "anti-party activities", the party's vice-president Jayprakash Majumdar said. The action comes as the party continues to grapple with internal discord. Sen, a doctor by profession and seen as a loyalist of TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, had criticised the police for its investigation into the rape and murder of the medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. His vocal stand on the issue created a furore within the party, especially given his close ties to the young leader. He could not be reached for comment. Islam, on the other side, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the years. A leader from Bhangore on the outskirts of Kolkata, his tiff with party MLA Saukat Mollah has often resulted in embarrassment for the top leadership. The suspensions signal the TMC leadership's effort to restore discipline within the ranks in the run-up to

Mamata successful in forming party which even Netaji couldn't: TMC leader

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh said party supremo Mamata Banerjee succeeded in forming a popular political party, something even Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose could not achieve in parliamentary politics. Bose had formed the All India Forward Bloc in 1939 after resigning from the Congress. "He is a historically significant freedom fighter but was unsuccessful in parliamentary politics after forming a party," Ghosh said on Sunday, claiming it is rare for someone to successfully form a popular political party after leaving the Congress. He alleged that the Congress failed to recognise Banerjee's indomitable fighting spirit. Banerjee was expelled from the Congress in 1997 following differences with the party leadership. "But the people of Bengal did not accept her expulsion from the Congress, and that is why they gave her party the status it deserved," Ghosh said. Ghosh's comments came after former state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya claimed on Saturday that Banerje

Police arrests five in connection with Malda TMC councillor murder

Police on Saturday said they have so far arrested five persons in connection with the murder of Malda English Bazar Trinamool Congress councillor Dulal Sarkar. Sarkar, described by West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee as a close associate of hers and a popular leader, was shot dead by miscreants in Malda district on Thursday morning. Two men were arrested on Friday after apprehending three others on the day of the murder, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five, a senior police officer said. The arrested accused persons were identified by the police as Bihar's Katihar district natives Sameer Akhtar, Mohammad Abdul Gani and Malda residents Tinku Ghosh, Abhijeet Ghosh and Amit Raja. Sarkar was shot in the head multiple times from close range after chasing him into a shop in English Bazar town's Jhaljhalia More, when he tried to flee the bike-borne assailants, according to the police. The TMC supremo expressed shock over the killing of Sarkar, who was popular by his ...

Odisha CM blames TMC govt for potato crisis, says Mamata has no 'mamata'

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday targeted Mamata Benerjee, his counterpart in neighbouring West Bengal, and the previous BJD government for the potato crisis in the state. Not self-sufficient in potato production, Odisha depends a lot on West Bengal for its requirement for the tuber and faces problems when the neighbouring state stops supplying the produce to cater to its home demand. While addressing an agricultural event here, Majhi and Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo slammed Benerjee for the potato scarcity in Odisha. Facing potato crisis in Odisha, we have talked to Mamata Didi, but in vain. She settles a score on us at the appropriate time. There is no mamata' (affection) in Mamata Didi for Odisha, Majhi said. The CM, however, did not elaborate on how Banerjee is settling a score. The chief minister also blamed the previous BJD government which he accused of failing to make Odisha self-sufficient in potato and onion production. During the last six month

TMC councillor gunned down in Bengal's Malda, CM Mamata expresses shock

Trinamool Congress councillor Dulal Sarkar was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in West Bengal's Malda district on Thursday morning, police said. Sarkar, the TMC councillor from Malda, was shot in his head multiple times from close range by bike-borne assailants at Jhaljhalia More area, they said. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to injuries. A probe has been initiated and we are trying to identify the culprits, a senior police officer told PTI. Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee expressed shock over the killing of Sarkar, who was popularly known as Babla. My close associate and a very popular leader, Babla Sarkar, has been murdered today. From the beginning of the Trinamool Congress, he (and his wife Chaitali Sarkar) worked hard for the party, and Babla was also elected a councillor, she said in a post on X. ... I am so shocked and sad that I do not know how to convey my condolences to the bereaved family. May God give Chaitali strength to sur

Chhattisgarh, West Bengal lead in social welfare expenditure in rural areas

Data showed that the monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE), taking into account imputed values, stood at Rs 4,247

TMC's Banerjee slams sports, film celebs over 'silence' on MMS' demise

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday criticised prominent figures in the sports and film domain, claiming that they have remained silent in paying respects to former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Describing Singh as one of India's "greatest statesmen" whose visionary leadership reshaped the nation's economy, he also claimed that the "complete silence" of the sports and film fraternities may have stemmed from fear of government backlash. "It is both shocking and disheartening to see the complete silence from prominent figures in the SPORTS and FILM industries individuals who are often celebrated as ROLE MODELS'. "Their reluctance to even acknowledge Dr Singh's passing raises uncomfortable questions about their priorities, responsibility and integrity. It appears this silence is driven by fear of government backlash, as staying silent on national issues has become the norm for many of these so-called ICONS'," Banerjee wrote in a post on X. Singh, 92, was cremated with

Suvendu Adhikari accuses TMC of 'ration scam', urges ED to launch probe

Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday targeted the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government, alleging scam in the ration distribution.Launching an attack in a post on X, he said that the multi-crore ration distribution "scam" is still going on in West Bengal despite the arrest of former Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick and his aides.He claimed that the rice meant to be distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS) is sent to privately owned rice mills and further polished to sell in the open market.He shared a video of a rice mill, which he alleged was polishing the rice meant to be distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS)."This video illustrates how the multi-crore Ration Distribution Scam is still going on in West Bengal despite the arrest of former Food & Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick and his aides," Adikari wrote in his X post."First of all, tonnes of rice meant to .

Bleeding Constitution from a thousand cuts: Mahua Moitra slams govt

TMC MP Mahua Moitra accused the BJP-led Centre on Friday of "bleeding the Constitution from a thousand cuts" and said it is crystal clear that the political executive has "systematically eroded democracy" over the last 10 years. Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on 75 years of the Constitution, Moitra asserted that the need of the hour is to ensure that the idea of India survives in its purest form. For a significant part of her speech, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP trained her guns on former chief justice of India D Y Chandrachud, without naming him, and said what troubles the opposition is that some members of the higher judiciary appear to be doing their best to compromise the independence and integrity of the country's constitutional courts. "The outgoing CJI waxed eloquent on how the right to bail has been granted during his tenure.... From A for Arnab to Z for Zubair, his alphabets seem to be abbreviated because it did not include G for Gulfisha Fatima, did not ...

Minister's post does not entitle someone to special bail consideration: SC

Holding a minister's post does not entitle a person for a special consideration for the grant of bail, the Supreme Court said on Friday, asserting that "official positions, regardless of their stature, lose relevance for the purpose of exercising judicial discretion judiciously". A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, which granted conditional future bail to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in a money-laundering case related to the alleged cash-for-jobs scam in the state, said impartiality is a prerequisite to the rule of law, wherein decisions are based on the factual matrix of a case as opposed to an individual's position or influence. It rejected Chatterjee's argument seeking special consideration for the grant of bail on the ground that he was entitled for the relief as he was a minister at the relevant time. "In this context, the argument that the appellant's position as a minister entitles him to any special consideration does not hold merit from either