Suvendu Adhikari demands ECI action
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari today sought attention of the Chief Election Commission of India that the West Bengal ruling party Trinamool Congress was brazenly violating the sanctity of the electoral process as several Booth Level Officers (BLOs) took part in the party meeting of the ruling party in Kharagpur in West Medinipur. “In a shameless display of political favoritism, several Booth Level Officers (BLOs) from the 224 Kharagpur Sadar constituency were spotted openly participating in a TMC party meeting, where they were proudly introduced by none other than TMC’s Paschim Medinipur district leader, Debasish Choudhary (alias Munmun). This is nothing short of a direct assault on the principles of free and fair elections,” Adhikari shared, naming the BLOs, on his X handle. Adhikari giving details of the BLOs said the booth No. 34: Anima Mukherjee, booth No. 35: M. Durga Rani, booth No. 36: Chandana Das Mohanti, booth No. 37: Ramanand Tewari, booth No. 38: Rabindranath, booth No. 39: R. Jyoti Lakshmi, booth No. 40: Dibakar Singh and booth No. 41: Malabika Mandal. The BJP leader alleged these BLOs, all of them school teachers, have been entrusted with the duty of ensuring impartiality at the grassroots level, but instead they were hobnobbing with TMC leaders openly.”How can we expect fair polls when BLOs are publicly aligning with the ruling party, potentially manipulating voter lists, intimidating opposition workers, and tilting the scales in TMC’s favor?,” the Nandigram MLA said. Adhikari demanded the ECI to immediately take cognizance of this violation and initiate stringent action and these BLOs put under suspension and barred from any involvement in the upcoming assembly elections. “These biased Officers must be suspended forthwith and barred from any involvement in the upcoming elections. A thorough investigation is warranted to uncover the full extent of TMC’s infiltration into the electoral machinery. Failure to act decisively will only embolden such corrupt practices and erode public faith in our democratic institutions,” the LoP said.
Bengal minister Sashi Panja alleged BJP is politicising medical student gang-rape in Durgapur
West Bengal Minister for Women and Child Development, Shashi Panja, today said it was “very unfortunate” that a student of a private medical college was gang-raped, but accused the BJP of “politicising” the incident. Panja said the police had received a complaint regarding the alleged gang rape case and a thorough investigation was underway. She confirmed that the victim, a minor from Odisha, was in hospital where she was receiving proper medical care and counseling. “The girl is being looked after, and her statement will play a crucial role in the investigation,” Panja said. The minister added that the victim’s parents had arrived from Odisha and expressed confidence in the Kolkata Police’s ongoing probe. Panja criticised the BJP for “politicising” the sensitive issue. “Crimes against women should never be viewed through a political lens, but unfortunately, the BJP continues to do so,” she remarked. “We don’t need to repeatedly state that Kolkata is the safest metropolis in India or that West Bengal is committed to women’s empowerment. The Chief Minister never compromises when it comes to ensuring justice for women,” Panja asserted. Urging patience, she said, “We must wait for the police investigation to be completed before drawing any conclusions.” Panja further said it was “unfortunate” that BJP leaders in Bengal were using the incident for political gain, while similar cases of harassment and self-immolation of women in BJP-ruled Odisha had gone largely unaddressed
Dilip Ghosh slams TMC over Darjeeling disaster response, alleges attack by ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh has launched a sharp attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, accusing it of a delayed and inadequate response to the recent landslide disaster in Darjeeling. Ghosh also alleged that BJP leaders who rushed to assist affected people were attacked by so called “Bangladeshi infiltrators” allegedly protected by the ruling party. Speaking to the media, Ghosh said, “Even after such a big tragedy, no TMC leader went to Darjeeling. It is the government’s duty to provide help and ensure people’s safety, but the Chief Minister went there two to three days after the disaster. Our BJP MLAs and MPs reached before her.” He further claimed that BJP’s tribal MPs, who visited the affected tribal communities, were attacked by individuals he labelled as illegal infiltrators. “They were attacked by Bangladeshi infiltrators who are being protected by TMC. Our MPs were attacked because TMC doesn’t want the truth to come out,” Ghosh alleged. His remarks have sparked a fresh political storm in West Bengal, with the BJP accusing the state government of mismanaging the crisis and failing to provide timely relief. The party has also reiterated its long-standing concerns about alleged illegal infiltration in border regions like Darjeeling.While the rescue operation is still underway in Darjeeling.TMC has not officially responded to Ghosh’s claims yet, but party sources say the allegations are an attempt to divert attention during a time of crisis.
North Bengal situation improves, but political storm continues
The flood and landslide-hit hills, Terai, and Dooars regions of North Bengal saw further stabilization in the past 24 hours with no casualties reported. Officials said the absence of fresh rainfall has helped accelerate relief, rescue, and restoration work, preventing the situation from worsening. In Darjeeling district, the worst affected by the disaster, repair work on several damaged roads has been completed. However, the main connecting route between the hills and the plains remains out of service. “Alternative routes such as Tindharia Road and Pankhabari Road are being used to bring down stranded tourists from the hills. Most of them have already reached Siliguri safely,” said a district administration official. Weather officials have predicted no heavy rain across North Bengal in the next 24 hours, although light to medium showers are expected in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Cooch Behar districts today, for which a yellow alert has been issued. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who spent the last two days touring affected areas and overseeing relief operations, is scheduled to return to Kolkata this afternoon. She is likely to share further updates on administrative measures after reaching the state capital. Her visit, however, has not been free from political controversy. The Chief Minister stopped by a Siliguri hospital where BJP MP Khagen Murmu is undergoing treatment after he and the party’s chief whip in the Assembly, Shankar Ghosh, were allegedly attacked in Bamandanga, Jalpaiguri, while distributing relief materials yesterday evening. While Murmu met the Chief Minister briefly, Ghosh reportedly declined to meet her. “I refused to meet me. Khagen da (Khagen Murmu) was not in a position to speak, so she met him. She was there for 2 minutes, and his media team kept clicking photographs. This is nothing but a gallery show,” Ghosh said. The BJP has sharply criticized Banerjee’s move. The party’s IT Cell chief and central observer for Bengal, Amit Malviya, accused her of “cheap publicity,” alleging that the incident of violence was the handiwork of ruling party supporters. “It comes as no surprise that this was yet another crass attempt by the Chief Minister to gain cheap publicity, especially after the violence unleashed by marauding mobs in Bamandanga under Sulkapara, an area long used to settle illegal Bangladeshis,” Malviya wrote on social media. However, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh termed the Chief Minister’s visit as a humanitarian gesture. “This is what we believe in the Trinamool Congress. The BJP is responsible for the people’s anger. But the Trinamool does not support physical attacks as an expression of that anger, it condemns them. We wish Khagen Babu a speedy recovery,” Ghosh said. “At the same time, we ask: ‘have you forgotten the attacks on Trinamool leaders and workers in Tripura by the BJP? And the repeated attacks on Mamata Di during the CPM regime?’ Mamata Di stands for non-violence. The CM believes in the politics of courtesy,” he added. The political blame game has only added to the tension in North Bengal, even as the administration continues its focus on restoring normalcy in the disaster-stricken hills and plains.
BJP Deploys Massive Force in West Bengal, With Shah at the Helm
With Durga Puja festivities over, West Bengal is shifting into election mode, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has begun mobilizing an unprecedented force to challenge the ruling Trinamool Congress. According to party sources, more than 1,200 BJP leaders, including members of Parliament from across India, will be stationed in the state in the coming months to oversee campaign operations. The move signals a clear strategy by the central leadership to take direct control of Bengal’s election battle, sidelining much of the state unit. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has been appointed chief election observer for Bengal, with former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb as his deputy. At the top of the chain of command will be Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is expected to spend seven to 10 days in Bengal every month starting in December. Party insiders said accommodations for Shah are being finalized in the Bidhannagar-New Town area. The deployed leaders will conduct on-the-ground surveys, identify weak spots in BJP’s campaign, and coordinate messaging based on intelligence and survey reports. Each MP will be assigned responsibility for two assembly constituencies, supported by three to four senior leaders and 10–12 local workers. Special automated phone numbers will be generated for each constituency to coordinate outreach and monitor rival propaganda. Once elections are announced, the party plans to appoint “page in-charges” for every page of the voter list. Each will oversee a small team tasked with maintaining direct, personal contact with voters until polling day, even without distributing party materials. Despite the large-scale effort, political observers remain skeptical about the plan’s effectiveness. Some warn that too many leaders in the field could create confusion rather than unity. In the 2021 assembly election, the BJP campaigned aggressively but managed only 77 seats, far short of its goal of toppling Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Still, BJP leaders insist this time will be different. “The central leadership has set its sights firmly on Bengal,” a senior state leader said. “There is no question of compromise. Whatever needs to be done to win power will be done.”
West Bengal Speaker bans lawmakers from entering assembly with personal security guards
Lawmakers in West Bengal will no longer be allowed to enter the state assembly accompanied by personal security guards, Speaker Biman Banerjee said on Monday, amid a legal dispute over security arrangements for ruling and opposition members. Banerjee said the only exception would be the chief minister’s security detail, noting that they do not carry arms inside the assembly. Similar rules are in place in India’s Lok Sabha and other state legislatures, he added. The decision comes after the Calcutta High Court sought affidavits from Banerjee and Assembly Secretary Sukumar Roy following a petition filed by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and BJP legislator Shankar Ghosh. The petitioners argued that while ruling Trinamool Congress lawmakers were allowed to enter with state police personnel, BJP legislators were denied entry with their Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) guards. Justice Shampa Sarkar of the high court questioned the disparity, asking why Trinamool lawmakers were permitted to bring state police into the assembly but BJP members could not be accompanied by central force personnel. Banerjee’s announcement came on the opening day of a special assembly session. He said the new rule would apply equally to all lawmakers regardless of party affiliation. BJP legislators, who typically receive central security, have said their guards are required to remain outside the assembly complex during sessions, housed in temporary camps. Trinamool legislators, by contrast, are protected by state police.
BJP faces storm as party worker accuses prominent leader of amassing Rs 100 cr in assets
A senior woman leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, who is also a lawyer by profession, has been accused of acquiring property worth more than Rs 100 cr ($120 million), triggering turmoil within the party’s state unit. The complaint, unusually, has not come from the opposition but from within the BJP itself. A party worker from Howrah has filed petitions with India’s federal investigative agencies – including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Income Tax Department – demanding a probe into the source of the leader’s wealth. Copies of the complaint were also sent to BJP’s national president, J.P. Nadda. According to the complaint, the BJP leader and a close relative allegedly purchased multiple high-value properties despite declaring significant debt in earlier election affidavits. The documents cited by the complainant claim the leader owed over 7 million rupees in loans during the 2021 elections but has since acquired luxury flats worth several crore rupees. Her relative is accused of buying properties exceeding 10 billion rupees. The allegations raise suspicions of tax evasion and money laundering, the complainant wrote, urging investigators to determine whether the acquisitions were influenced by the leader’s political position or protected by senior figures within the party. The controversy quickly spilled into the public domain after Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh posted on social media that he had received a copy of the complaint. “If true, I hope central agencies will take appropriate action,” he wrote, while stressing that he had not verified the claims. The BJP has not officially responded, but the accusations have caused unease within its ranks, exposing rifts in a party already struggling to consolidate itself in West Bengal, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress remains dominant. For the BJP, which has positioned itself as a crusader against corruption, the allegations strike at its credibility, particularly since they involve one of its more visible faces in the state.
RSS warns BJP against alienating Bengali migrant workers, says move could help Mamata
Kolkata, Aug 29 (Reuters) – The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), ideological mentor of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has cautioned party leaders against targeting Bengali-speaking workers in BJP-ruled states, warning that such moves could strengthen West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. According to people familiar with the matter, senior RSS leaders have privately conveyed to BJP’s central leadership that the harassment of Bengali migrant workers amounts to a “self-goal,” handing Banerjee political ammunition. They said the issue has already given the Trinamool Congress leader an opportunity to project herself as the protector of Bengali identity. The concern is expected to feature in the RSS’s coordination meeting scheduled from Sept. 5-7 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will be present, the people said. The organization, which has been expanding its grassroots presence in West Bengal in recent years, fears the incidents could hamper its outreach. RSS leaders have also raised the matter with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and a senior federal minister, underscoring that no Indian citizen should be treated as an outsider for speaking Bengali. The Sangh believes action against illegal migrants should not spill over into hostility against lawful citizens, which risks alienating West Bengal’s electorate. Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress has staged street protests over alleged assaults on Bengali workers in BJP-ruled states, accusing the ruling party of discrimination.
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.
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.
