Page 3 - West Bengal

TMC seeks restraint on misuse of documents seized by ED during I-PAC raids

The TMC on Friday moved the Calcutta High Court against the ED raids at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of its chief here, seeking restraint on misuse and dissemination of documents seized during the search operations. The ruling party in West Bengal, in its petition, alleged that the ED seized sensitive and confidential political data meant for the TMC's use in the upcoming assembly elections, in a display of arbitrary, mala fide, and colourable exercise of power. PTI has accessed the synopsis of the petition, which refers to the probe agency's search and seizure operations under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, on January 8. The ED maintained that the operations were part of a probe into an alleged multi-crore rupee coal pilferage scam. The petitioner submits that the seized articles and electronic data consist of confidential political data/information/documents relating to campaign strategy, internal assessments, resear

Bengal guv flags constitutional breach by Mamata over ED raid interference

CV Ananda Bose emphasised the gravity of Mamata Banerjee's actions, which he said are punishable under law and violate constitutional rights

West Bengal EC says overseas voters need not attend SIR hearings in person

The clarification comes a day after reports emerged that Nobel laureate Amartya Sen had been directed to appear in person as part of SIR proceedings to clarify a point regarding his age

ED moves Calcutta HC as Mamata arrives at I-PAC official's home during raid

In a statement issued later in the day, the ED alleged that its proceedings were disrupted after the chief minister arrived at the residence along with a large number of police officials

ED tried to seize TMC's data during raid at I-PAC chief's home: CM Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that ED officials were attempting to seize TMC's hard disks, internal documents and sensitive organisational data during a search operation at the residence of I-PAC chief Prateek Jain here. She described the raid at the residence of Jain as politically motivated and unconstitutional. I-PAC also looks after the IT cell of the Trinamool Congress. Banerjee made the allegations after emerging from Jain's Loudon Street residence here, where searches have been underway since Thursday morning. Search operations were also being conducted at the office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), the consultancy firm Jain heads. Claiming that the ED was trying to access the ruling party's internal strategy, candidate lists and confidential digital material, Banerjee said such information had no link to any financial probe. They are trying to take our party's hard disk, strategy and plans. Is it the duty of the ED to coll

EC illegally using mobile apps developed by BJP to conduct SIR: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged on Tuesday that the Election Commission is using mobile applications developed by the BJP's IT cell to conduct the ongoing SIR exercise in the state. Speaking to reporters before concluding her two-day visit to Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district to oversee preparations for the upcoming Gangasagar Mela, Banerjee accused the EC of "resorting to all kinds of wrong moves while conducting the electoral roll revision. The EC is resorting to all kinds of wrong moves for conducting the SIR. It is marking eligible voters as dead' and forcing the elderly, ill and indisposed to attend hearings. It is making use of mobile apps developed by the BJP's IT cell for the exercise. This is illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic. This cannot go on, the chief minister alleged. The TMC supremo's fresh set of allegations against the poll panel was made on a day when her party MP Derek O'Brien moved the Supreme Court against the EC, claiming it

Mamata to move court on Tuesday against 'inhumane' conduct of SIR

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she would move court against what she described as the "inhumane" conduct of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. Addressing a public meeting in Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district, she alleged that fear, harassment and administrative arbitrariness linked to the exercise had led to deaths and hospitalisations of several people. "We are moving court tomorrow against the inhumane treatment and the death of so many people due to the SIR," she said. "If allowed, I will also move the Supreme Court and plead as a common person against this inhumane exercise. I am also a trained lawyer," she said. Banerjee alleged that names were being "arbitrarily struck off" the voter rolls without valid reasons, turning a routine administrative process into a source of fear ahead of the assembly elections. She claimed that terminally ill people and elderly citizens were being forced to stand in long queue

1 killed, 2 injured as ceiling collapses in Kolkata's Park Circus

An elderly woman was killed and two others, including a child, were injured after a portion of the roof of a dilapidated building collapsed in Kolkata's Park Circus area in the early hours of Monday, police said. The incident happened between 3 and 3.30 am near Lohar Pool when a part of the ground floor ceiling fell where five people were sleeping, they said. Three people were injured, and they rushed to a nearby hospital, but one of them was declared brought dead, police said. One of the injured suffered a fracture in his leg, while a child sustained injuries to the nose and mouth, they said. Residents said several families live on rent in the building and they had repeatedly requested the owner to repair the structure, which was in a severely dilapidated condition. No written complaint has been lodged against the building owner so far, police said. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation is monitoring the situation and may conduct an inspection of the building to assess its structura

Tamil Nadu, West Bengal will join NDA's list of victories: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday expressed confidence that the NDA would emerge victorious in the Assembly polls due this year in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Addressing a mega BJP rally here, Shah listed out BJP-NDA's wins since 2024, including a third consecutive win in Haryana and said it was now the turn of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Slamming the ruling DMK over alleged corruption, he asked if the state can progress with an "army of corrupt ministers." He targeted the DMK for dynasty rule and said a dream to perpetuate it would not come true and the time has come to put an end to family politics in Tamil Nadu. BJP's key alliance partner AIADMK's chief Edappadi K Palaniswami addressed a rally in Salem district almost coinciding with Shah's public meeting time.

CM Mamata urges CEC to halt 'arbitrary, flawed' SIR in West Bengal

Sharpening her attack on the Election Commission, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged CEC Gyanesh Kumar to halt the "arbitrary and flawed" SIR in the state, warning that its continuation in the present form could trigger "mass disenfranchisement" and "strike at the foundations of democracy". In a strongly worded letter dated December 3, Banerjee accused the commission of presiding over what she described as an "unplanned, ill-prepared and ad hoc" process marked by "serious irregularities, procedural violations, and administrative lapses". She asserted that the situation on the ground had worsened despite her two earlier communications to the chief election commissioner (CEC). "I am once again constrained to write to you in order to place on record my grave concern," Banerjee wrote, recalling that she had flagged similar issues in letters dated November 20 and December 2. "Regrettably, instead of any corrective course being adopted, the situation on the ground has only

EC orders FIRs against five poll officials over roll lapses in Bengal

The Election Commission directed the registration of FIRs against five poll officials for alleged irregularities in the distribution and collection of enumeration forms during the ongoing special revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, an official said on Saturday. These officials are two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), two Assistant Registration Officers (AROs) and a data entry operator, he said. "We have identified five state government employees, two from Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district and three from Moyna in Purba Medinipur, against whom FIRs will be filed for alleged procedural lapses in the revision exercise," he said. "The district magistrates have been asked to lodge cases and submit reports promptly," he added. Meanwhile, the EC has scaled down the logical discrepancy cases from over 1.3 crore to nearly 94.49 lakh after a thorough evaluation of the list, an official said. In the draft rolls, published on December 16, around 1.36 crore entries were flagged for .

BJP to launch 'Choreder Panchali' to counter TMC's poll pitch in Bengal

West Bengal's Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday said the BJP will roll out 'Chorder Panchali' tableaux across his Purba Medinipur district to make the people aware of the alleged misdeeds of the Trinamool Congress government. Adhikari alleged the 'Unnayaner Panchali' (chronicles of development) campaign launched by the TMC government were spreading lies about the Narendra Modi government and the opposition parties in the state. "Though people can now see through the deceit of Trinamool Congress, still, the BJP needs to counter the campaign and make people see the real truth. From tomorrow, we will roll out 'Choreder Panchali' (tales of theft) tableaux across Purba Medinipur, including Nandigram," he told reporters on the sidelines of a rally in his constituency. Addressing the rally, Adhikari alleged the Hindus of Nandigram were living in fear of "jihadi elements" sheltered by the ruling party. "What happens when Hindus fail to unite can be clearly seen across t

Bengal polls: TMC's Abhishek vows ₹300 daily wage for tea garden workers

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday sought to reclaim political ground in north Bengal by promising a sharp hike in daily wages of tea garden workers, placing labour welfare at the centre of the party's pitch for the 2026 Assembly elections in a tea belt that has largely tilted towards the BJP since 2019. Addressing a rally-cum-interaction with tea garden workers in Alipurduar, Banerjee said that if the TMC returns to power for a fourth consecutive term, the daily wage of tea workers would be raised to Rs 300 after a tripartite meeting involving the state government, garden owners and workers' representatives. "Daily wages of Rs 250 are not enough to run a household given the rise in prices. I give you my word -- within 30 days of the next government being formed, a tripartite meeting will be held, and within seven days of that, the process to ensure Rs 300 daily wages will begin," Banerjee said, responding to questions from workers. The assurance followed .

Bengal SIR: Parties submit 8 claims, objections to include eligible voters

In its daily bulletin, the CEO's office detailed that the period for claims and objections from political parties was from December 17 to December 31, 2025

Bengal polls: Shah outlines BJP's roadmap, projects Dilip Ghosh as key face

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday outlined an action plan for the BJP's West Bengal unit while reviewing its preparedness for the assembly polls due early next year. Addressing the party's public representatives, both past and present, Shah sought to project a unified front, while indicating former state president Dilip Ghosh as one of the main faces of the saffron camp for the elections. Ghosh, who has largely stayed away from the forefront of the BJP's activities in the state over the past several months, was also invited to the closed-door meeting attended by the party's MPs, MLAs, civic body councillors and organisational portfolio holders. Shah held the meeting to take stock of the BJP West Bengal unit's preparedness for the assembly polls next year. He reportedly held a separate meeting with Ghosh, alongside another former state president Sukanta Majumdar, incumbent Samik Bhattacharya, and the state's leader of the opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, indicating bridging of

Amit Shah chairs meeting of BJP MLAs, MPs in Kolkata ahead of 2026 polls

Amit Shah is visiting the state and holding a series of meetings with party leaders as part of the BJP's organisational outreach

West Bengal in 2025: SIR, identity politics, cross-border unrest shape year

As West Bengal edged closer to the assembly polls due next year, 2025 unfolded as a year in which the mechanics of voting, border anxieties and sharpening communal lines eclipsed governance, turning the SIR of electoral rolls and cross-border unrest into the state's defining political battlegrounds. If the Lok Sabha elections verdict of 2024 fixed the poll arithmetic, the politics of 2025 fixed the mood. A steady undercurrent through the year was the spillover from neighbouring Bangladesh. Political instability and reports of communal violence across the border, including attacks on minorities and the killing of a Hindu man, fed directly into Bengal's political discourse. At home, the detention and pushback of Bengali-speaking migrant labourers from BJP-ruled states like Odisha, Assam, Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat on suspicion of being Bangladeshis ignited a political firestorm in West Bengal. With the 2026 polls approaching, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC went on the offensive, ...

TMC hits back at Amit Shah, says BJP won't cross 50 seats in Bengal polls

The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday hit back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of peddling falsehoods and making baseless claims about securing a two-thirds majority in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Senior TMC leader and state education minister Bratya Basu told reporters that Shah's remarks were based on hollow assertions and claimed that the BJP would not even cross the 50-seat mark in the polls. "Shah will keep coming and going like a tourist. Such visits will serve no purpose," Basu said on the sidelines of a programme. "The BJP will not even cross the 50-mark in the assembly polls and suffer a humiliating defeat," Basu claimed. Addressing a press conference here, Shah claimed that the BJP would form the next government in the state with a "two-thirds majority in 2026". "We will not only identify infiltrators, but we'll also drive them out. Bengal will have a new BJP government after April 15, 2026, as people have made up their minds," he said. TMC ...

Shah to hold series of organisational meetings on 2nd day of Bengal visit

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold a series of meetings with party leaders in Kolkata on Tuesday, with barely a few months left for the assembly elections in West Bengal. Shah reached the city on Monday on a three-day visit. He is scheduled to hold back-to-back closed-door meetings with the BJP's MLAs and MPs, besides representatives in various civic bodies, a leader said. He is also expected to meet the top brass of the RSS in the state. He is also scheduled to address a press conference during the day. After his arrival on Monday, Shah held a meeting at the BJP office in Salt Lake to take stock of the party's organisational preparedness for the upcoming polls. His visit is focused on setting the BJP's tone and tenor for the upcoming elections, party leaders said.

I am secular in true sense, appeasement charge is wrong: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday rejected allegations of indulging in appeasement, asserting that she is "secular in the true sense" and participates in programmes across faiths without discrimination. She was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Durga Angan', a cultural complex dedicated to Goddess Durga, at New Town in Kolkata. People accuse me of indulging in appeasement, but it is not correct. I am secular in the true sense, she said, adding that she attends programmes of all religions. The Trinamool Congress chief did not identify the accuser, but the opposition BJP often charges her with appeasing the Muslims. You do not say anything when I visit a gurdwara, but start criticising me when I attend an Eid programme, Banerjee said. Banerjee also flagged concerns over the ongoing SIR process, alleging harassment of people and loss of lives. People are being harassed unnecessarily. Over 50 lives have been lost within a month during the SIR proc