TMC supremo says party will expand seat tally in 2026 polls
With seven months still to go before assembly elections in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has declared that her Trinamool Congress (TMC) will increase its tally of seats, a rare public prediction from the party chief. Banerjee, usually cautious about making numerical forecasts, told a student wing rally on Thursday that TMC would win more seats than it did in 2021, when it secured 215 of the 292 contested seats. “Remember, in the next election your seats will increase. The reason is we deliver development and we will continue to do so,” she said. Her nephew and party’s second-in-command, Abhishek Banerjee, made a similar assertion at the same event, claiming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would struggle to cross 50 seats. The BJP had won 77 seats in 2021 but its strength has since declined following defections and bypoll defeats, leaving TMC with 219 seats in the 294-member house. Party strategists say Banerjee’s unusual prediction is aimed at projecting confidence, energising TMC’s grassroots network, and unsettling rivals. Senior leaders argue the government’s extensive welfare schemes, particularly targeting women and minorities, coupled with TMC’s organisational control at the booth level, leave little space for the BJP to expand despite attempts at religious polarisation. Analysts, however, note that the ruling party will enter the 2026 polls carrying 15 years of anti-incumbency, a factor that could weigh on voter sentiment as it did against the Left Front in 2011 after more than three decades in power. Banerjee also used the occasion to hit out at the Election Commission, accusing it of intimidating state officials after four bureaucrats were suspended. “The Election Commission comes and goes, but the state government remains,” she said, signalling defiance amid growing friction between her administration and the poll body.
CISF launches training course to build hybrid port security model
India’s Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has launched its first specialised training course for private security personnel deployed at ports, in a move aimed at creating a “hybrid” port security model and strengthening compliance with international maritime codes. The pilot programme, rolled out simultaneously at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) near Mumbai and Chennai Port Authority (ChPA), will equip private guards with skills in threat identification, port operations and emergency response, CISF said on Tuesday. While CISF secures all 13 major ports, smaller and intermediate ports across the country rely heavily on private security agencies to protect cargo zones, warehouses and access gates. India has nearly 200 ports, of which about 65–68 are active in cargo operations. “By providing focused training tailored to the complex environment of ports, we are empowering security personnel to perform their duties with confidence and professionalism, ultimately safeguarding critical infrastructure and trade,” said S.R. Saravanan, Inspector General of CISF (South Sector). The two-week “Port Facility Security Course,” designed with inputs from the Directorate General of Shipping, Customs and other stakeholders, will also cover the use of technical security equipment and standards under the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. So far, 40 private security personnel from JNPA, Deendayal Port in Kandla and Mumbai Port have enrolled at the JNPA training centre, while 26 participants from New Mangalore, Ennore, Chennai and Tuticorin ports joined at the ChPA centre. CISF plans to expand the programme to other ports in the coming months. The training comes at a time when Indian ports had earlier this year elevated security to MARSEC Level 2, requiring stricter checks amid heightened geopolitical tensions. “The introduction of this course marks a critical advancement in port security management,” said Sunil Paliwal, Chairperson of Chennai Port Authority.
ED uncovers racket in NRI quota medical admissions, seizes assets
Enforcement Directorate (ED) has unearthed a large-scale racket involving fake documents to secure medical college admissions under the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota, seizing assets worth more than 1.2 billion rupees ($148 million) from private institutions and individuals, the agency said. The probe, carried out with help from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Indian embassies abroad, found that about 18,000 MBBS seats in private colleges were granted to students who submitted forged papers, including fabricated NRI certificates and family trees. Investigators said admission agents colluded with colleges to recycle the same set of fraudulent documents for multiple candidates. Some genuine NRI applicants also allegedly accepted payments to allow their identities to be misused. Raids at several campuses led to the recovery of fake certificates and notarised stamps purportedly from U.S.-based officials. Regulations mandate that tuition fees under the NRI quota must be paid by an overseas relative, but the ED said most payments came from other sources. Despite receiving evidence from the MEA, authorities in West Bengal and Odisha failed to act against certain private colleges, the agency said. It recently provisionally attached a fixed deposit of 642 million rupees belonging to a West Bengal institution. Indian consulates worldwide flagged that many of the NRI sponsor certificates were “not genuine,” raising questions over the integrity of the admissions system. The ED said the case highlights systemic loopholes, collusion between agents and institutions, and weak oversight that allowed the racket to thrive, undermining the NRI quota’s original aim of bringing in foreign exchange.
Actor and BJP Politician Joy Banerjee Dies at 61
Popular Bengali actor and politician Joy Banerjee has died at the age of 61 in Kolkata. Banerjee passed away on Monday morning at 11:30am at a private hospital off the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, where he had been undergoing treatment for severe respiratory illness. Hospital sources confirmed he had been battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and was placed on ventilation on 17 August, following his admission two days earlier. Born in 1963, Banerjee was drawn to cinema from an early age. He made his acting debut opposite actress Debashree Roy, but it was filmmaker Anjan Choudhury’s 1990s hit Hirak Jayanti that established him as a household name. His on-screen pairing with actress Chumki Choudhury became immensely popular with audiences, though their off-screen relationship eventually ended. Banerjee’s personal life often made headlines. He first married actress and Trinamool Congress councillor Ananya Banerjee, but the relationship did not last. Later, he married Ankita Banerjee, who survives him, along with his mother. By the late 1990s, Banerjee gradually stepped away from cinema and turned to politics. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and contested the Lok Sabha elections from Birbhum in 2014 and Uluberia in 2019, though he was unsuccessful in both attempts. He rose to become a member of the BJP’s state committee in West Bengal, where his star power was seen as an asset during campaigns. However, in November 2021, Banerjee publicly announced that he was stepping away from active politics and would no longer represent the BJP. Despite his departure from both cinema and frontline politics in recent years, Banerjee remained a recognisable public figure in Bengal, remembered as much for his screen charisma as for his controversial political journey. News of his death has sparked tributes from both the Bengali film fraternity and political colleagues, many recalling his contributions to the silver screen and his attempt to bridge cinema and public service. Banerjee is survived by his wife, Ankita Banerjee, and his mother.
India appoints ex-CRPF chief Anish Dayal Singh as deputy to NSA Doval
India has appointed former paramilitary chief Anish Dayal Singh as a deputy to National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, with responsibility for domestic security, government sources told Press on Monday. Singh, a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1988 Manipur cadre, has been named Assistant National Security Adviser (ANSA). He previously headed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and served nearly three decades in the Intelligence Bureau (IB). He retired in December 2023. Officials said Singh will oversee issues related to Jammu and Kashmir, counter-insurgency operations against Maoist rebels, and internal security in India’s northeast. His appointment adds to the team of two existing assistant NSAs – retired IPS officer T.V. Ravichandran and former diplomat Abhay Kapoor – while former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Rajinder Khanna serves as Additional NSA. During his tenure as CRPF chief, Singh expanded counter-Maoist operations, creating four new battalions and over three dozen forward operating bases in insurgency-hit regions. His appointment comes as the government pushes to eradicate Maoist militancy by March 2026, a target set by Home Minister Amit Shah. According to official data presented in parliament, districts affected by Maoist insurgency have fallen from 126 in 2013 to just 18 in April 2025. The government has not issued a formal statement on Singh’s new role, but analysts say his experience in counter-insurgency and intelligence makes the appointment significant at a time when New Delhi is focusing on domestic security challenges.
ED arrests West Bengal lawmaker in teachers’ recruitment scam probe
India’s financial crime-fighting agency on Monday arrested a state legislator from West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress party in connection with a teachers’ recruitment corruption case, officials said. Jiban Krishna Saha, a lawmaker from Burwan constituency in Murshidabad district, was detained after hours of questioning for allegedly refusing to cooperate with investigators, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said. He is expected to be brought to Kolkata later in the day and produced before a court. ED officers, backed by federal paramilitary forces, raided Saha’s home early on Monday. As officers closed in, Saha attempted to flee by scaling a boundary wall but was caught in a nearby field, officials said. Investigators also recovered two mobile phones that Saha allegedly threw into a pond during the raid. Saha had previously been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in April 2023 during raids linked to the same case. He was later granted bail by the Supreme Court. On both occasions, he allegedly tried to destroy evidence by discarding mobile phones in water. The latest raids also extended to Saha’s in-laws’ residence in Raghunathganj, Murshidabad, and to the home of a relative, Maya Saha, a municipal councillor in Birbhum district. Investigators also searched the residence of a relative of Prosanna Roy, an aide to former state education minister Partha Chatterjee, who is already facing trial in the teachers’ recruitment scam. The case centres on allegations that large sums of money were collected from job seekers in exchange for teaching posts in state-run schools. Several Trinamool leaders, including former education minister Chatterjee, have been arrested in connection with the scandal. The Trinamool Congress has repeatedly accused federal agencies of being used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to target its leaders ahead of state and national elections.
Family feud in Bengal’s Matua stronghold exposes BJP rift
A bitter feud within the influential Thakur family of the Matua community has erupted into the open, exposing cracks in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal and raising speculation about shifting political allegiances. The row centres on a Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) assistance camp being run inside the historic Nat Mandir (temple hall) at Thakurnagar, the seat of the Matua sect. The initiative, spearheaded by BJP MP and Union Minister Shantanu Thakur, offers refugees from Bangladesh help in filing CAA applications – a politically sensitive issue ahead of elections. But Shantanu’s cousin, Subrata Thakur, BJP MLA from Gaighata and also head of the All India Matua Mahasangh, has publicly opposed the move. He questioned why a religious space was being used for political purposes. “The Nat Mandir is meant for devotees, not for political camps,” Subrata said, accusing his younger brother of monopolising power within the sect. The clash escalated on Saturday after Shantanu organised a special camp at the temple. Subrata objected, alleging that the sanctity of the site was being compromised, while Shantanu countered that the camp was serving devotees by helping them access their CAA rights. “No political activity is being done. We are only ensuring devotees face no difficulty in applying,” the minister said. The dispute has split the family. Subrata’s mother, Shibirani Thakur, and aunt Mamata Bala Thakur, a Trinamool Congress MP, have backed him, accusing Shantanu of using the temple for partisan gains. Mamata Bala confirmed she had held talks with Subrata, though she insisted the discussions were limited to the temple and devotees’ concerns, not politics. On the other side, the family patriarch, former state minister Manjul Krishna Thakur, came out in defence of his younger son Shantanu, saying he himself had authorised the camp as chief sevayat (caretaker) of the sect. “Differences should have been resolved within the family. Bringing outsiders and the Trinamool into the matter is unacceptable,” he said, criticising Subrata and his mother. The BJP MLA, however, dismissed accusations of defecting to the Trinamool. “Family comes first, politics later. I only spoke to my mother, aunt and sister regarding the Nat Mandir. It was about the devotees’ convenience,” Subrata told reporters. Shantanu, meanwhile, alleged that his elder brother was “looking for an excuse to join the Trinamool Congress” with ambitions of becoming a minister. The Matua community, numbering several million in Bengal, is seen as a decisive voting bloc, particularly in North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts. With many members tracing roots to erstwhile East Pakistan, the promise of citizenship under the CAA has been a major BJP plank. Analysts say the public spat highlights the fragility of BJP’s hold over the Matua vote bank and could weaken its prospects if the family feud deepens further.
WBNUJS launches hybrid master’s in criminology
The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS) has launched a two-year hybrid postgraduate programme in criminology and criminal justice, offering both M.A. and M.Sc. degree options. The course was launched in the presence of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, Justice Ananya Banerjee and Justice Sugata Majumdar of the Calcutta High Court, Dr. Nirmal Kanti Chakrabarti, Vice-Chancellor of WBNUJS, Sanjay Singh, IPS, DIG (Cyber Crime), West Bengal Police, and Manoj Kumar Roy, probation officer. The course, unveiled in Kolkata in the presence of three Calcutta High Court judges, senior police officials and academics, is aimed at students and working professionals seeking advanced training in crime and justice studies. The programme combines law, social sciences and forensic science, with courses on cybercrime, victimology, forensic technology, prison management and predictive crime analysis. M.A. candidates will study three specialised forensic papers, while M.Sc. candidates will take five. Vice-Chancellor Nirmal Kanti Chakrabarti said the initiative, aligned with India’s National Education Policy 2020, would prepare professionals for careers in criminal justice administration, policing, forensics, corrections and policy research. “The hybrid format is especially attractive for working professionals. This programme responds to society’s urgent need for skilled experts in crime management and justice delivery,” Chakrabarti said. WBNUJS, set up under a 1999 state law, ranked fourth in India’s 2023 national law school rankings and recently received an A+ grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. Admissions, open to Indian and international candidates, require at least 50% marks in undergraduate studies.
BJP Youh Leader’s Murder Sparks Political Row in West Bengal
The brutal killing of a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district has triggered a political firestorm, with the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition BJP trading accusations over the motive behind the crime. Police said on Sunday that a search is underway for two more suspects in connection with the death of Rajib Biswas, a BJP booth president in Baruipur, who was assaulted and set ablaze on August 8. His father and brother, both accused of leading the attack, have already been arrested. According to investigators, Biswas was kicked, punched, and beaten with bamboo sticks and sharp weapons before being set on fire inside a house, which has since been sealed. He later succumbed to his injuries. Authorities have described the incident as a fallout of a long-running family feud. The BJP, however, has rejected the police version, insisting that the murder was politically motivated. Party leaders allege that Biswas’s father and brother were members of the TMC and claim that the two other men still at large are also affiliated with the ruling party. “This was not just a family matter. Rajib Biswas was murdered because he refused to bow down,” BJP leader Sankudeb Panda said. He alleged that the killing followed a dispute over putting up BJP flags and posters of Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly. Panda also shared a video on social media purportedly showing the attack, in which two men can be seen beating a youth as he screams for help, while two others stand by. The footage has not been independently verified by PTI or other news outlets. Calling the murder “an act of political vendetta,” Panda demanded that the investigation be handed over to a central agency, arguing that the state police could not be trusted to act impartially. The TMC has strongly denied any link to the incident. Local councillor Archana Mallick said that those arrested were not members of the ruling party. “On August 9, I was informed by some family members that the youth was in critical condition. I advised them to take him to hospital, and later I heard he had died. This is purely a family dispute. The BJP is trying to give it a political twist,” Mallick said. She added: “We don’t believe in the politics of murder. Those responsible must be punished.” The killing has deepened tensions in the politically volatile district, which has long witnessed clashes between supporters of the BJP and TMC.
CBI questions TMC lawmaker Sudipto Roy in RG Kar Medical College corruption probe
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday visited the residence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Sudipta Roy in Kolkata’s Sinthee area as part of its ongoing probe into alleged corruption at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. According to sources, two CBI officers arrived at Roy’s house in the afternoon to question him. However, the Shrirampur MLA was not present at the time. Officials are expected to record his statement once he returns. Roy, who once headed the hospital’s Patients’ Welfare Committee, has been under the agency’s scrutiny for several months. In September last year, CBI’s anti-corruption wing had raided his residence. Opposition leaders, including BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, have accused Roy of diverting hospital equipment to his private nursing home – a charge the lawmaker has strongly denied. Speaking earlier, Roy said his nursing home was established in 1984 and grew during the Left Front era. “Anyone can visit and verify for themselves. The allegations are baseless,” he maintained. The renewed CBI action comes against the backdrop of last year’s brutal rape and murder of a woman doctor inside RG Kar Medical College. Her body was discovered in a bloodied state in a seminar hall on the morning of August 9, 2024. A civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy, was arrested that night. The incident triggered outrage across West Bengal and led to the removal of Sudipta Roy as chair of the hospital’s welfare panel, with senior TMC leader Shantanu Sen appointed in his place. The investigation into both the murder and the hospital’s alleged irregularities continues to place pressure on the ruling TMC, already grappling with a series of corruption scandals.
