West Bengal

EC meets political parties representatives in West Bengal ahead of polls

Representatives of various political parties in West Bengal met the full bench of the Election Commission on Monday, and several of them sought a maximum of two-phase polling for the upcoming assembly elections, a senior official said. Representatives of the TMC, BJP, CPI(M), Congress, AAP, NPP and Forward Bloc, among others, met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who was accompanied by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, and West Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal at a hotel in New Town near Kolkata. "A wide range of issues concerning the conduct of elections in the state were discussed. Several parties suggested that the elections be held in one or two phases and assured their cooperation in ensuring that the polls remain peaceful," the EC official said. The parties urged the EC to take stringent measures to curb the activities of anti-social elements and prevent intimidation of voters during the elections, he said. "They emphasised the need for strong ...

SC to hear plea against deletion of electors from Bengal electoral rolls

The Supreme Court agreed to consider on Tuesday a fresh plea filed by some persons whose names have been deleted from the electoral rolls by the Election Commission during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of senior advocate Maneka Guruswamy that the plea pertained to deletion of erstwhile voters from the rolls. "These are electors. They had voted earlier and now their documents have not been taken," the senior lawyer said. "But in the scheme of things, we cannot sit on appeal over the decisions of the judicial officers," the CJI observed. When the senior lawyer said the appeals are maintainable, the bench said it will hear on Tuesday. On February 24, the top court allowed the deployment of West Bengal civil judges, in addition to 250 district judges, and the requisitioning of judicial officers from Jharkhand and Odisha to handle 80 lakh claims and object

Centre seeks response from WB govt on protocol lapses at President event

Amid a row over "lapses" at President Droupad Murmu's event in West Bengal, the Centre has sought a response from the state government by 5 pm on Sunday over the "violations" of the rules related to protocol, venue and route arrangements during the visit, sources said. In a letter to West Bengal chief secretary, the Union home secretary has asked him to furnish a response on the violations of the 'Blue Book' rules of protocol, venue and route arrangements. The 'Blue Book' is a confidential document which lists out rules for the security and protocol for the President, Vice-President and the prime minister and their families. President Murmu on Saturday expressed dismay over a low turnout at a tribal community event near Bagdogra airport, and questioned the decision to shift the venue from Bidhannagar. She also noted the absence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her ministers during her visit. Highly placed sources said the communique sent to the West Bengal chief .

Change inevitable in West Bengal after assembly polls: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday asserted that change is inevitable in West Bengal after the upcoming assembly elections, maintaining that the BJP will form the government, bringing an end to the 15-year uninterrupted rule of the Trinamool Congress. Lambasting the TMC, he said those who had won the trust of the people of West Bengal some years ago have now launched a vicious attack on the state's pride. "Change is inevitable this election," he said, maintaining that a BJP government will ensure unprecedented development in West Bengal. "We have to save West Bengal's pride, it is in peril," Vaishnaw said while addressing a Poriborton Yatra rally at Shrirampur in Hooghly district. Stating that the people of West Bengal have seen governments run by the communists, the Congress and the TMC, he urged the people of the state "to give a chance to the BJP". Alleging that the ruling Trinamool Congress indulges in vote-bank politics, the minister said, "Question is arising in t

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

No plan to carve UT out of Bihar, Bengal districts: Nityanand Rai

Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, on Saturday dismissed speculations that a move was afoot to form a new centrally administered territory by carving districts out of Bihar and West Bengal. Rai, who is also a former Bihar BJP president, came out with a post on his X handle, rubbishing the claim of Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav. "It is totally contrary to facts that there is any plan to carve some districts out of Bihar and West Bengal to form a Union territory. Nobody should take the tweet of Pappu Yadav seriously," said Rai, who also tagged the Purnea MP, who supports the Congress. Yadav had on Friday alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's decision to move to Rajya Sabha, and the appointment of Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain, as the new governor, was part of the "BJP's game-plan" to create a Union territory after carving out Bihar's Seemanchal region and West Bengal's Muslim-dominated districts of Malda, Murshidabad and Uttar ...

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

RN Ravi appointed West Bengal Guv in major reshuffle of gubernatorial posts

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi was on Thursday appointed as the new governor of West Bengal, replacing C V Ananda Bose, who resigned abruptly earlier in the day, a move that has sparked a fresh confrontation between the BJP and its rivals here and in the state. The appointment was a part of a major reshuffle of gubernatorial posts effected in several states and Union territories by President Droupadi Murmu late on Thursday night. Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retired) was appointed as the new Bihar governor, while Ladakh's Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta has been made the governor of Himachal Pradesh. Hasnain succeeds Arif Mohammed Khan, who took oath as Bihar Governor on January 2 last year. However, the political circles were abuzz with the unexpected resignation of Bose as the West Bengal governor just weeks before the Assembly polls there. In a communique, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said that President Murmu has accepted Bose's resignation. Talking to PTI over the phone from Delhi, Bo

CV Ananda Bose resigns as Bengal Governor; TN Guv RN Ravi to replace

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose resigned from his post in New Delhi on Thursday evening. Bose, who was appointed Bengal governor on November 17, 2022, told PTI: "Yes, I have resigned. I have been the Governor of Bengal for three-and-a-half years; it's enough for me." He, however, did not disclose the grounds of his sudden resignation and whether there was any political pressure that may have prompted his decision.

Amit Shah vows to 'throw out infiltrators' if BJP wins in Bengal polls

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday sharpened the BJP's pitch on infiltration, declaring that while "only names of infiltrators are being deleted now" from voter rolls, they would be "pushed out of the state" once the party comes to power with a full majority in West Bengal. Addressing the BJP's Poriborton Yatra here in South 24 Parganas district, his first visit to the state since the publication of the revised electoral rolls on Saturday, Shah said the Trinamool Congress (TMC) had turned Bengal into a "swarg (heaven) for infiltrators" and alleged that the border state's security was compromised because the ruling dispensation allowed illegal immigration. "Bengal is a bordering state. The TMC cannot ensure security because they allow infiltration. Only the BJP can provide security to a bordering state like Bengal," he said. His remarks come against the backdrop of the post-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) electoral rolls published on Saturday, which recorded 63.66 lakh deletion

WB's original inhabitants will become minority due to infiltration: Nadda

Accusing the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal of giving "shelter" to infiltrators, Union minister JP Nadda on Sunday claimed that the state's original inhabitants would become a minority if the trend continued. Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar in Nadia district, from where one of the BJP's 'Poriborton Yatras' was flagged off, Nadda alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress was trying to turn the state into a "hub of infiltrators". "Infiltration in Bengal has reached its peak. The state is being turned into a safe hub for infiltrators. The original inhabitants of Bengal will become minorities as infiltrators are being given shelter," he claimed. Alleging a complete breakdown of law and order, Nadda said the TMC stood for "terror, Muslim appeasement and corruption". Nadda, the Union health minister, accused the TMC government of blocking central welfare schemes, particularly Ayushman Bharat. "The TMC government did not allow the implementation of Ayushman Bharat in the .

BJP to launch 'Paribartan Yatra' across poll-bound Bengal from today

The BJP will launch 'Paribartan Yatra' across West Bengal on Sunday in a bid to sharpen anti-incumbency against the TMC and test its grassroots machinery ahead of the assembly polls this year. The programme will kick off a day after the publication of the revised electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in the state. During the SIR process, around 63.66 lakh names, nearly 8.3 per cent of the electorate, have been deleted from the state voter list since the exercise began in November last year, reducing the elector base to over 7.04 crore. The 5,000-km outreach initiative is designed as both a mass-contact exercise and an organisational stress test aimed at converting booth-level groundwork into visible street mobilisation, a party leader said. Nine yatras will originate from Cooch Behar, Krishnanagar, Kulti, Garbeta, Raidighi, Islampur, Hasan, Sandeshkhali and Amta, traversing every assembly constituency before culminating in a Brigade Parade Ground rally

Voters face issues as EC portal down in Bengal after SIR rolls publication

Voters in West Bengal were left high and dry for most parts of the day, unable to access their electoral status on the website of the Election Commission and its mobile application following the publication of post-SIR electoral rolls on Saturday, on account of the portal remaining dormant on "technical" grounds. Although online data on the EC-designated websites could not be accessed since morning, officials said they realised the problem after users reported them to be "down" and inaccessible at around 1 pm. The poll panel has started publishing the electoral rolls in phases, which marked the culmination of a 116-day statewide exercise that began on November 4 last year. The ECI's voter services portal and the state CEO's website were both unresponsive, triggering confusion among voters attempting to check their names on the list. "The final electoral roll will be published online in the afternoon," an official of the office of the Chief Electoral Officer had said. Following the

Earthquake tremors felt in Kolkata, adjacent districts of West Bengal

Earthquake tremors were felt in Kolkata and adjacent districts in West Bengal on Friday afternoon, triggering panic among people. There was no immediate report of any loss of life or damage to property. The magnitude and epicentre of the quake are not yet known. The tremors, which lasted for a few seconds, were felt in several parts of the city and adjoining areas, including high-rise residential complexes and busy marketplaces. Residents in many neighbourhoods said ceiling fans swayed, furniture shook and windows rattled during the tremors, with the impact more noticeable in multi-storey buildings. Further details are awaited.

BJP will win Bengal polls, drive out every single infiltrator: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday exuded confidence that the BJP will win the upcoming assembly polls in West Bengal, and "drive out every single infiltrator" from the state, which was among the ones "worst affected by demographic change". Shah made the remark in Araria district of Bihar, where he launched projects worth Rs 175 crore of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and dedicated to the nation a couple of new border outposts. "It is the top priority of the BJP government to drive out every single infiltrator from the country, who are not just a threat to national security, but also feed on welfare benefits meant for people, thereby diluting the impact schemes run by the government could make," he said. "Infiltration on a large scale also results in encroachments in bordering areas. We are committed to demolishing these. Infiltration also poses the threat of demographic change, which can wreak havoc with the culture, and even geography, of a region," Shah said. The Narendra

Great leveller: How SIR hearings blurred party lines ahead of Bengal polls

As West Bengal awaits publication of the final voter list on February 28 after the SIR, the state has been witness to an unusual spectacle over the past few months, with senior leaders and elected representatives from rival parties appearing at hearings to defend their names in the electoral rolls. For a brief interlude before the 2026 assembly polls, the SIR emerged as an unlikely political leveller, feel observers. Modest Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing rooms across the state turned into unlikely arenas of convergence during the past two months. From TMC MP and actor Dev to ministers Shashi Panja and Tajmul Hossain, MLA and former IPS officer Humayun Kabir to party leader Debangshu Bhattacharya and MLA Nandita Chowdhury, SIR notices travelled without regard for party colours. The BJP list was no different. Former Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta attended a hearing over a spelling discrepancy, while BJP MLAs Swapan Majumdar and Ashis Kumar Biswas were also summoned. The Le

Bengal SIR: SC allows Jharkhand, Odisha judicial officers for verification

SC permits deployment of additional judges to speed up Bengal's voter roll revision and allows the Election Commission to publish the final rolls on February 28 as verification continues

Mukul Roy: Bengal's 'Chanakya' who mastered defections, outlived alliances

Mukul Roy, the backroom strategist once hailed as the 'Chanakya of West Bengal politics', died early on Monday after prolonged illness, ending a career which saw him both engineer and embody defections. One of the founding members of the TMC, his passing ends one of the most layered political journeys of post-Left West Bengal. Roy, who was born in Kanchrapara in North 24 Parganas district in 1954, began his political career with the Youth Congress in the 1980s. When Mamata Banerjee broke away from the Congress to form the Trinamool Congress in 1998, Roy was among the earliest to follow. Soft-spoken and meticulous organiser, he avoided rhetorical flourish. His domain was arithmetic, booth committees, district equations, ticket distribution and alliance management. Within a few years, he emerged as the party's general secretary and principal troubleshooter in Delhi. Elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2006 and re-elected later, Roy became the TMC's leader in the Upper House in 2009. In the