West Bengal Elections Highlights: Single-phase poll in Bengal if BJP voted to power, says Dilip Ghosh

Left-Congress-ISF alliance is set to kick off Bengal campaign with mega Kolkata rally. The Election Commission of India announced 8-phase elections in West Bengal starting from March 27. The polling dates were spread out keeping in mind festivals. The counting will take place on May 2. The BJP and TMC continue to lock horns in the state while campaigning. The EC's Model Code of Conduct comes into force in the state with the election announcement.

My spine is not for sale', says Abhishek at Suvendu Adhikari's backyard

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday held a roadshow at Ghatal in Purba Medinipur district, considered a stronghold of turncoat Suvendu Adhikari, and said that his spine is not for sale like "some other people".

Adhikari, once considered a close aide of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, joined the BJP in December last year.

BJP looking to achieve 'Mission East' in Bengal

The upcoming assembly polls assume great significance for the BJP as it looks for an ideological victory in West Bengal by achieving "Mission East" and expand its footprint in the south beyond Karnataka.

BJP leaders feel that a better performance in these polls will be a big boost for the party in pushing its reform agenda set in the recently presented Union Budget.

RJD to contest Assam polls aiming Hindi-speaking voters: Tejashwi Yadav

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Saturday said his party will contest the upcoming Assam Assembly polls with the "like-minded" parties, a step seen as an effort to eat into votes of the BJP among the Hindi-speaking people.

Green activists urge political parties to follow environmental norms during campaigning for assembly polls

Green activists in West Bengal have urged political parties to abide by environmental norms while campaigning for the upcoming assembly polls, voicing concern over the unrestricted use of plastic.

Noted green activist Subhas Dutta, President of Rejuvenators for Environment Nature and United Society (RENU), said on Saturday that letters were sent to 13 political parties in the state on February 22 about the urgent need to follow such norms, including the ones on sound pollution.

Officers on poll duty should maintain level-playing field: Congress

The Congress Saturday said officials deployed on poll duty should remain nonpartisan and maintain a level-playing field during the upcoming elections in four states, including in West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi alleged the Centre’s ruling BJP was practicing a "below-the-belt" and "low-level" politics in West Bengal, terming it unfortunate.

Police officers adopting unfair means to prevent free and fair Bengal assembly polls: BJP

The BJP on Saturday lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal against some police officers for allegedly resorting to unfair means to prevent free and fair assembly polls in the state.

Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta said it had come to the notice of the party that the police officers have been demanding submission of Aadhaar cards and other documents from officials designated for election duty

Single-phase poll in Bengal if BJP voted to power: Dilip Ghosh

Slamming West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for raising questions over eight-phase assembly elections, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh Saturday said it was required because of the "political violence unleashed by the ruling TMC", and asserted that his party will ensure single-phase poll if voted to power.

TMC will return to power, WB people want its daughter back: Prashant Kishor

With the stage set for high- octane assembly elections, poll strategist Prashant Kishor Saturday exuded confidence of TMC returning to power as the people of West Bengal are ready to bring back their rightful leader.

Kishor, whose team I-PAC is working in planning TMC's election campaign, in his latest tweet said that one of the key battles for democracy in the country will be fought in the West Bengal.

Want alliance with BJP for upcoming polls, as well for 2022 UP elections: RPI chief Athawale

Union minister Ramdas Athawale Saturday said his Republican Party of India (RPI) wants an alliance with the BJP for the upcoming polls in four states and the Union Territory of Puducherry, as also for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections.

Left-Congress-ISF alliance to kick off Bengal campaign with mega Kolkata rally

The Left-Congress-ISF alliance will kick-off its campaign for the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal with a mega rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata on Sunday.

The CPI(M)-led Left Front and the Congress have already sealed a seat-sharing agreement, while the talks between the Left and Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui's ISF have also concluded with both agreeing on 30 seats for the newly- floated outfit.

BJP alleges TMC role behind LED vehicles attack

CBI interrogates Kolkata-based businessman in connection with its probe into multi-crore coal pilferage case: Official

MP CM predicts 'spectacular' win for BJP in WB polls

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday expressed confidence that the BJP would clinch a "spectacular" victory in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls and come to power in that state as people there have now risen against the "misgovernance" of the Mamata Banerjee-led dispensation.

He also said that he will take part in the Parivartan Yatra in West Bengal on Sunday.

Talking to reporters here, Chouhan said, "I will reach Kolkata tonight to take part in the Parivartan rally tomorrow. I will address three public meetings there as part of it." (PTI)

No postal ballot facility for overseas Indian voters in five assembly polls

Eligible overseas Indian voters will not get the facility of postal ballots in the five assembly elections to be held in March and April as the government wants the Election Commission to consult various stakeholders before the facility is rolled out.

Responding to a question on whether the facility of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) would be extended to overseas voters in the assembly elections to West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora replied in a negative. (PTI)

JUST IN | BJP office in Baranagar area of North 24 Parganas district was vandalised last night. BJP alleges that TMC is responsible for this. One of the miscreants was beaten up by BJP supporters. He was later rescued by Police andtaken to the Police station. A Police complaint has been lodged by BJP.

Congress-Left alliance and Indian Secular Front are scheduled to meet today to discuss the seat-sharing and alliance for the upcoming West Bengal Elections 2021. (ANI)

Bengal Assembly elections: A Modi vs Mamata battle on the cards

With the dates of the Assembly elections declared, West Bengal, where the BJP is trying to come to power for the first time, will be in focus. Once considered a fringe element in Bengal, the saffron party gained the status of the principal Opposition by winning 18 seats in the last Lok Sabha election.

Read more

Mamata Banerjee announces hike in wages of daily wage labourers

TMC forms 12-member committee for Bengal polls

The Trinamool Congress on Friday announced a 12-member election committee that will look into the selection of candidates and plan a campaign for the upcoming assembly polls.

The panel will be headed by West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, party's secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said after its core committee meeting.

Senior party leaders, MPs and MLAs are other members of the committee, he said.

Subrata Bakshi, Abhishek Banerjee, Sudip Banerjee, Derek O Brien, Sougata Roy and C M Jatua are members of the election panel.

Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee, Partha Chatterjee Chandrima Bhattacharya and Aroop Biswas are also part of the team. (PTI)

Mamata Banerjee holds Puja in her home

Apuja was held at the residence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kalighat in south Kolkata on Friday as the schedule for the assembly elections in West Bengal was announced. Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of the chief minister,which were led by Jagannath Swain Mohaptra of the Lord Jagannath temple in Puri.

Read more

Eight-phase West Bengal polls keeping in mind festivals, deployment of forces: EC

With the Election Commission (EC) facing flak from some quarters for announcing eight-phase Assembly polls in West Bengal, officials on Friday said the polling had to be spread out due to festivals, the movement of security forces and an increased number of polling stations, keeping in mind Covid protocols.

Read more