Kolkata, May 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Results for the Falta Assembly repoll in West Bengal have been declared at the end of all the rounds of counting on Sunday, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Debangshu Panda being declared elected by a landslide margin of 1,09,021 votes.

While Panda secured a total of 1,49,666 votes, CPI(M) candidate Sambhunath Kurmi came in the second position, securing a total of 40,645 votes.

Congress candidate Abdur Razzak came in the third position, receiving 10,084 votes.

Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan ended fourth in the tally, securing 7,783 votes.

The deposits of both Congress and Trinamool Congress candidates have been forfeited.

The results of the Falta repoll are unique from two angles. This is for the first time in any election in history since the Trinamool Congress’ foundation in January 1988, that any party candidate has finished the race in the fourth position.

Secondly, this is the first time since 2011, which marked the end of the 34-year Left Front regime and the beginning of the Trinamool Congress’ 15-year regime, that any party candidate has had his or her deposit forfeited.

The repoll at Falta was conducted on May 21.

With the victory of Panda in Falta, BJP’s total tally in the 294 West Bengal Assembly constituencies now stands at 208, followed by Trinamool Congress at 80, Congress and Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) at two each and CPI(M) and All India Secular Front (AISF) at one each.

The trend on Sunday is a complete study in contrast to the results in Falta, both in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls as well as in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress' Shankar Kumar Nashkar was elected by a margin of 41,000 votes from Falta, which is one of the seven Assembly constituencies under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency.

Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress general secretary and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, has represented the Diamond Harbour seat three times.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Falta Assembly constituency gave Banerjee a lead margin of around 1,20,000 votes, which opposition parties described as a mockery of the polling process.

Polling for the Falta Assembly constituency was conducted on April 29 in the second phase of the recently concluded two-phase Assembly polls in the state.

On April 29, several complaints of electoral malpractices were reported in Falta. At several polling booths, the EVM buttons corresponding to the names and symbols of BJP candidates were covered with white tape. Hundreds of voters took to the streets after they were not allowed to vote, allegedly by Jahangir Khan's supporters.

Subsequently, special poll observer Subrata Gupta, currently serving as advisor to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, personally visited Falta and conducted an inquiry. Based on Gupta's findings, the Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered repoll across the entire Falta Assembly constituency.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday celebrated what it described as the "collapse" of the Trinamool Congress' "Diamond Harbour Model" as its candidate from the Falta Assembly constituency, Debangshu Panda, was seen leading after 19 rounds of counting had been completed in the repoll process.

Officials said that in total, there are 21 rounds of counting, and after the completion of the 19th round, the BJP candidate had secured 1,37,473 votes.

The party attributed the trend to growing voter support for the BJP in West Bengal under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the political influence of Suvendu Adhikari.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari, in a post on X, shared a video showing BJP supporters celebrating enthusiastically, waving party flags, raising slogans and cheering as counting trends showed Debangshu Panda maintaining a lead over CPI(M) candidate Sambhu Nath Kurmi, Congress candidate Abdur Razzak Molla and Trinamool Congress nominee Jahangir Khan.

"Diamond Harbour Model COLLAPSES! 'BHAIPOs' arrogance defeated! People of Bengal under Suvendu Da and guided by PM Narendra Modi Ji's vision, chose BJP in Falta!" Bhandari said in a post on X.

Bhaipo is a Bengali word which means "nephew" in English.

The Falta Assembly repoll held on May 21 in the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency area, represented by Abhishek Banerjee, reportedly saw a high voter turnout under tight security arrangements.

Maintaining the same trend since the beginning of the counting at 8 a.m. on Sunday, the Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan has maintained the fourth position, securing just 5,914 votes.

The trend on Sunday is a complete study in contrast to the results in Falta, both in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls as well as in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, Shankar Kumar Nashkar of the Trinamool Congress was elected by a margin of 41,000 votes from Falta, which is one of the seven Assembly constituencies under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency.

Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress general secretary and Mamata Banerjee's nephew, has represented the Diamond Harbour seat three times.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) With 11 more rounds of counting for the repolling of Falta Assembly constituency in the South 24 Parganas of West Bengal yet to be completed, the lead margin of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s candidate, Debangshu Panda, has already increased to 38,940 votes.

In total, there will be 21 rounds of counting, and the votes polled by the BJP candidate at the end of the 10th round of counting were 64,238.

On the other hand, at the end of the 10th round of counting, the CPI(M) candidate, Sambhunath Kurmi, has consolidated his second position by securing 25,298 votes.

The Congress party candidate, Abdur Razzak, is in the distant third position, securing just 6,429 votes.

Maintaining the same trend since the beginning of the counting at 8 a.m. on Sunday, the Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan has maintained the fourth position, securing just 3,304 votes.

The trend on Sunday is a complete study in contrast to the results in Falta, both in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls as well as in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress' Shankar Kumar Nashkar was elected by a margin of 41,000 votes from Falta, which is one of the seven Assembly constituencies under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency.

Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress' general secretary and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, has represented the Diamond Harbour seat three times.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Falta Assembly constituency gave Banerjee a lead margin of around 1,20,000 votes, which opposition parties described as a mockery of the polling process.

“Abhishek Banerjee often took pride in his Diamond Harbour model. Now the real face of that model has been revealed. Sunday’s trend also reveals the secrets behind Abhishek Banerjee's victory -- an unthinkable margin of over 7,00,000 votes from Diamond Harbour in 2024, with Falta giving the maximum lead,” said a state BJP leader.

At the time the report was filed, there was no reaction from any of the opposition parties, including Trinamool Congress, CPI(M) and Congress, to the trends.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) After the fifth round of counting for the repolling of Falta Assembly constituency on Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Debangshu Panda is comfortably ahead of his closest opponents by a margin of 14,514 votes

As per figures available from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, after the fifth round of counting, the total number of votes polled by the BJP candidate was 30,562, followed by CPI(M)’s Sambhunath Kurmi at 16,048 and Congress candidate Abdur Razzak at 3,510 votes.

Trinamool Congress candidate, Jahangir Khan, is placed in the fourth position, securing 1,685 votes at the end of the fifth round of counting

Altogether, there will be 21 rounds of counting, and the result is expected to be clearer by 1 p.m.

This is the first time since the 2011 West Bengal Assembly elections that CPI(M) has surpassed Trinamool Congress in securing votes.

In fact, political observers feel that while the victory of the BJP candidate in the Falta repoll was a foregone conclusion, the main curiosity was about who would be in second position. “While there was a possibility of the CPI(M) candidate getting more votes than the Trinamool Congress candidate, it was quite unexpected that even the Congress candidate would surpass the Trinamool Congress candidate in terms of the votes secured," they said.

Now, with the victory of the BJP candidate almost certain after the fifth round of counting, the total tally of the ruling party in the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly will be 208, followed by Trinamool Congress at 80, Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) and Congress at two each; and CPI(M) and All India Secular Front at one each.

The counting was being held amid tight security.

As the BJP candidate's lead over other contestants was increasing, the party workers went into a celebratory mood.

The Trinamool candidate, Jahangir Khan, and his party agents were absent from the counting centre. Khan had announced his withdrawal from the fray even though he was in the race till the repolling was announced.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) After the first round of counting for the repolling of the Falta Assembly constituency on Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, Debnagshi Panda, is comfortably ahead of his closest opponents.

As per available information from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, after the first round of counting, the total number of votes polled by the BJP candidate stands at 9,534, followed by CPI(M)'s Sambhunath Kurmi at 448 and Congress candidate Abdur Razzak at 225 votes.

Trinamool Congress candidate, Jahangir Khan, who once held the final word at Falta, has been placed in the fourth position, securing just 210 votes at the end of the first round.

Altogether, there will be 21 rounds of counting, and the result is expected to be clear by 1 p.m. But the BJP supporters, assembled outside the polling centre, have already started celebrating and distributing sweets among the people there.

“Since the Trinamool Congress came to power in West Bengal in 2011, there was not a single election where the voters of Falta could vote fearlessly in an intimidation-free ambience. Even many Trinamool Congress supporters could not cast their votes in the previous elections, since Jahangir Khan and his gang did not trust them. However, on the day of repolling, there was absolutely peaceful polling with everyone able to cast a vote. We are confident that at the end of the counting, our candidate Debangshi Panda will win by a massive margin,” said a BJP supporter outside the polling centre.

On May 4, the results for 293 of the 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal, except Falta, were announced. While the BJP had a landslide victory, winning 207 constituencies, the Trinamool Congress got reduced to just 80.

While Congress candidates emerged victors in two constituencies, the CPI(M) and All India Secular Front (AISF) won one seat each. The Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP)’s founder and former Trinamool Congress legislator, Humayun Kabir, got elected from both the constituencies he contested from, namely Naoda and Rejinagar, both in the minority-dominated Murshidabad district. Now, in the event of the BJP candidate winning from Falta, as trends indicate, the tally for the ruling party in the state Assembly will be 208.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 24 IANS) Counting has begun for the Falta Assembly constituency in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district from 8 a.m. on Sunday amid tight security arrangements.

The repolling for the Assembly Constituency, as per the direction of the Election Commission of India (ECI), was conducted on May 21. There will be a total of 21 rounds of counting, and according to the insiders from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, the result will be absolutely clear by 1 p.m.

The Trinamool Congress counting agents were absent from the counting centre. The party candidate, Jahangir Khan, withdrew from the contest immediately before the repolling on May 21.

However, his staying away from voting was merely symbolic since he made the announcement just a day before the repoll and had participated in the first polling. His name continued to be active on the EVM on the repolling day.

The polling process on May 21 was absolutely peaceful. Many voters, standing in queues on that day, claimed that this was the first time that they could vote peacefully without intimidation, obstruction and fear. The polling percentage was quite high at over 88 per cent.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in Falta is Debangshu Panda, the CPI(M) candidate is Shambhu Kurmi, and the Congress candidate is Abdur Razzak. In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress' Shankar Kumar Nashkar was elected by a margin of 41,000 votes from Falta, which is one of the seven Assembly constituencies under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency. Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress' general secretary and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, has represented this seat three times.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Falta Assembly constituency gave Banerjee a lead margin of around 1,20,000 votes, which opposition parties described as a mockery of the polling process.

Polling for the Falta Assembly constituency was conducted on April 29 in the second phase of the recently concluded two-phase Assembly polls in the state.

On April 29, several complaints of electoral malpractices were reported in Falta. At several polling booths, the EVM buttons corresponding to the names and symbols of BJP candidates were covered with white tape. Hundreds of voters took to the streets after they were not allowed to vote, allegedly by Jahangir Khan's supporters.

Subsequently, special poll observer Subrata Gupta, currently serving as advisor to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, personally visited Falta and conducted an inquiry. Based on Gupta's findings, the Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered repolling across the entire Falta Assembly constituency.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) A significantly high voting of 60.43 per cent was recorded till 1 p.m. in a peaceful repolling for the Falta Assembly Constituency in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Thursday.

The scorching summer heat could not dampen voters’ enthusiasm. Long queues were seen in front of the 285 polling booths, with voters waiting patiently for their turn. The atmosphere was peaceful even as the security forces were maintaining a strict vigil in Falta since polling started at 7 a.m.

According to an insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, the trend of evenly high polling percentage throughout the polling period, which was witnessed in the two-phased recently concluded Assembly polls on April 23 and April 29, has also been recorded in the case of repolling in Falta.

“With 60.43 per cent of polling recorded till 1 p.m. and five hours of polling time still left, we are confident that the final polling percentage will surely cross the 90 mark, which was witnessed in the two phases of Assembly polls last month,” the source in the CEO’s office said.

Since morning, the previous ruling party in the state, Trinamool Congress, including the party candidate, Jahangir Khan, has been totally missing from the polling scene. Although Khan last week announced that he was withdrawing from the contest, his announcement was just symbolic since his name continued to be displayed at the EVM on Thursday.

However, the polling agents of major political parties, namely Bharatiya Janata Party BJP), CPI(M) and Congress, were there in all the polling booths. The repolling is being conducted under a blanket security coverage with 35 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) being deployed, which is significantly high for a single Assembly constituency.

The polling for the Falta Assembly seat was conducted once on April 29. Following massive complaints of electoral malpractices on that day, the Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered repolling in the whole constituency. The results of the repolling will be declared on May 24.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) In an absolutely peaceful repolling for the Falta Assembly constituency in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Thursday, a high voting percentage of 20.47 was recorded in the first two hours till 9 a.m.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) Re-polling commenced for Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal from 7 a.m. on Thursday under a blanket security coverage provided by the 35 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel, a number significantly high for a single constituency.

The polling process had been peaceful till the time the report was filed.

With Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan announcing his withdrawal from the contest recently, political observers feel that a victory in the Falta re-polling has now become a cakewalk for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which, if won, would thus improve the party's tally in the West Bengal Assembly to 208.

Last week, Khan announced his decision to withdraw from the contest, expressing solidarity with the new development package for Falta as announced by the new and ninth Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari.

However, the CEO's office clarified that, irrespective of Khan's announcement, his name would remain as a Trinamool Congress candidate in the re-poll and continue to appear on the EVM.

"Polling for the Falta Assembly constituency had already been conducted once on April 29. On May 21, it will just be a re-poll. So, nothing else changes, including the candidates contesting from Falta," the CEO's office insider said.

Observers suggest that it will be interesting to see whether the vote percentages for the CPI(M) and Congress candidates in the Falta Assembly seat improve, remain the same, or decline compared to the previous elections.

On April 29, several complaints of alleged electoral malpractices emerged from Falta. At several polling booths, the EVM buttons corresponding to the names and symbols of BJP candidates were allegedly covered with white tape.

Subsequently, special poll observer Subrata Gupta, currently serving as advisor to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, personally visited Falta and conducted an inquiry into the allegations.

Based on Gupta's findings, the Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered re-polling across the entire Falta Assembly constituency.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) The re-polling in the Falta Assembly constituency in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas is set to commence on Thursday. Fresh voting will be conducted across all 285 polling stations in the constituency.

The voting will take place from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The results will be declared on May 24.

Polling for Falta was conducted in the second phase of the recently concluded two-phase Assembly elections on April 29. However, on that day, several complaints of alleged electoral malpractices emerged from the constituency.

At several polling booths, the EVM buttons corresponding to the names and symbols of BJP candidates were allegedly covered with white tape.

Based on Gupta’s findings, the Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered re-polling across the entire Falta Assembly constituency.

Already, Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan had announced on Tuesday his decision to withdraw from the contest this time, keeping faith in CM Adhikari's announcement of a development package for Falta.

Polling personnel are all set, and deployment activities are progressing smoothly, insiders from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said on Wednesday.

“Continuous monitoring arrangements are in place to ensure that every aspect of the polling process remains smooth, all geared towards free, fair and peaceful polling tomorrow. The re-polling will be conducted under blanket security coverage by 35 companies of Central Armed Police Forces personnel, which is significantly high for a single Assembly constituency,” said an insider from the CEO’s office.

However, the CEO’s office clarified that, irrespective of Khan's announcement, his name would remain as a Trinamool Congress candidate in the re-poll and continue to appear on the EVM.

“Polling for the Falta Assembly constituency had already been conducted once on April 29. On May 21, it will just be a re-poll. So, nothing else changes, including the candidates contesting from Falta,” the CEO’s office insider said.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) AJUP chief Humayun Kabir on Wednesday praised newly sworn-in West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, expressing confidence that he would govern in the interest of the people.

Speaking about the formation of the BJP-led government in Bengal, Kabir said, “I am very happy, as the Assembly election results came. My only aim was to topple Mamata Banerjee’s corrupt government. The people of Bengal have fulfilled that aim, and I extend my best wishes to the people for taking this decision.”

Targeting the previous government led by Mamata Banerjee, the AJUP leader said the people of the State had "voted decisively for political change".

On Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Kabir said, “Given his experience, he was LoP earlier, and I think he will run a good government and work in the interest of the people.”

Adhikari was sworn in as the first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal earlier on Saturday, marking a major political shift in the State. The oath of office was administered by Governor R. N. Ravi.

Along with Adhikari, five other MLAs were also sworn in as ministers in the new Council of Ministers -- Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu and Nisith Pramanik.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with senior NDA leaders, Union ministers and Chief Ministers from several States.

Adhikari, 57, contested and won from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur constituencies in the recently concluded Assembly elections. His victory in Bhabanipur drew particular attention as he defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by a margin of 15,115 votes.

The BJP’s victory in West Bengal is being viewed as a landmark political development, ending years of Trinamool Congress rule in the State. Supporters of the new government say the mandate reflects public demand for administrative change and stronger governance.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Riju Dutta, recently sacked by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for six years, has claimed that disciplinary action was taken against him because he publicly thanked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) helping protect his family after they received threats following the West Bengal Assembly elections.

Dutta also levelled serious allegations regarding the party's ticket distribution process and claimed that the political consultancy firm IPAC was effectively "running the show" and "managing" party's organisational affairs.

Speaking to IANS, Dutta alleged that he was denied a party ticket to contest the Assembly elections after he refused to pay Rs 50 lakh that was allegedly demanded from him.

"For the last 6 months, IPAC has been running the party. My ticket was confirmed, I was told. Then I was asked for Rs. 50 lakhs, which I did not have. At night, my wife and mother gave me their jewellery. But in the morning, Ma Kali saved it, and I returned it to her. I said, no, we don't want to sell all this and take the ticket," Dutta claimed.

He further alleged that the money was not demanded by the Trinamool Congress leadership directly but by individuals allegedly linked to IPAC.

"IPAC demanded the money, not the TMC. Someone named Arjun called me and demanded the money," he added.

Dutta said that despite working for the Trinamool Congress for over a decade and remaining loyal to the party, he was suspended after he acknowledged help received from BJP leaders during a difficult situation involving threats to his family members.

"I have been doing TMC for 13 years. I have done TMC with my life. I was in Nandigram for 27 days. Suvendu Adhikari was the MLA there at that time. I visited Nandigram, too. But when on May 4, there was a change of power in Bengal, and the CPI(M) goons who had become Trinamool in 2011 became BJP in 2026. These were the people who were rioting, not the old BJP people," he said.

Claiming that his family members received threats after the election results, Dutta alleged that his mother and wife were specifically targeted.

"That day, my mother got several phone calls, threatening her that her son would be beheaded and she would be burnt alive, and my wife, who has no connection to politics, gets rape threats," he alleged.

According to Dutta, he subsequently contacted several senior BJP leaders seeking assistance and support regarding the threats.

"Then I called several top BJP leaders, and they picked up my calls and told me about the threats. After that, I only thanked the BJP for saving my family, and just for this, I was removed from the party," he claimed.

Reacting to his suspension from the Trinamool Congress, Dutta said he did not consider the party's action as punishment and instead viewed it as recognition of his loyalty and honesty.

"It's not a punishment, it's a big reward. I will frame that suspension letter at home. I will keep it in my bedroom, so that every morning I can see my honesty, my loyalty, my love that I gave to that party. Look at what I did for that party and the reward I got for it, I will put it in my bedroom, so that I can see it every morning the result of my loyalty," he said.

The Trinamool Congress has not yet officially responded to the allegations made by Dutta regarding ticket distribution, the alleged demand for money or his claims involving IPAC.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) Newly-inducted West Bengal Minister and two-time BJP legislator Agnimitra Paul on Saturday said that the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state marked the fulfilment of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee's vision and claimed that the state had been "saved" from turning into "Western Bangladesh".

Her remarks came shortly after Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the Chief Minister of the first BJP-led government in West Bengal, along with other members of the state Council of Ministers.

Apart from Adhikari, those sworn in as ministers included former state BJP president Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, former Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik, as well as Ashok Kirtania and Khudiram Tudu.

Speaking to IANS after taking the oath, Paul became emotional while recalling what she described as years of struggle and political violence faced by BJP workers in the state.

"I still can't believe the struggle that we have done, the 23 police cases, the insults, the harassment, not letting us work, beating our workers, raping them, burning them... I still can't believe it; do we really have a government? Sometimes I want to pinch myself and see if this is really happening," she said.

The BJP leader further stated that she believed the political change in the state reflected the ideals of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the ideological predecessor of the BJP.

"Syama Prasad Mookerjee's dreams have been fulfilled. We have been able to save the Bengal that was going to turn into Western Bangladesh. We are able to save it. This is an unreal feeling," Paul said.

Referring to Mookerjee's role in Bengal's political history, the BJP MLA added, "Syama Prasad Mookerjee was the founder of our party. Bengalis got Bengal due to him, or else we would have been in Bangladesh now. And the way Hindus were being burnt in Bangladesh, women were being killed; it would have happened to us also. Today, it didn't happen because of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee's Bengal."

Launching a sharp attack on Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Paul accused the previous government of pursuing appeasement politics.

"Mamata Banerjee was trying to turn Bengal into Bangladesh through her appeasement politics for Jamaat and the Muslim community. It is a blessing that it did not happen, and Bengal did not turn into Bangladesh, or else everything, from our language to culture, would have been Islamised. Today, Syama Prasad Mookerjee's soul would be very happy. Over 321 BJP workers who were brutally beaten, raped and killed today, even their souls must have found peace," she added.

The swearing-in ceremony marked a historic political shift in West Bengal as the BJP formally assumed power in the state for the first time.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) Congratulatory messages poured in from senior BJP leaders across the country after Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the Chief Minister of West Bengal on Saturday, heading the first-ever BJP government in the state.

Adhikari was sworn in along with four other members of the state Council of Ministers at a high-profile ceremony attended by top BJP leaders, Union Ministers and Chief Ministers from NDA-ruled states.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh extended his greetings through a post on X and termed the occasion an important moment for the state.

"Heartiest congratulations to Shri Suvendu Adhikari on taking the oath of Chief Minister of West Bengal. Many congratulations to all the ministers who took oath today. This new beginning on the sacred 'Pochishe Boishakh' is an auspicious sign for the prosperity, development, and public welfare of West Bengal and its people," Singh said.

Expressing confidence in the new administration, the Defence Minister said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Adhikari would "steer West Bengal towards a brighter future", which he described as being "rooted in good governance, transparency, development, and inclusive growth, and will fulfil the dream of 'Sonar Bangla'."

"My best wishes to the new government for a successful, stable and transformative tenure dedicated to the service and aspirations of the people of West Bengal," Singh further added.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also conveyed his wishes to the newly sworn-in Chief Minister through social media.

"Wishing him a successful tenure devoted to the welfare and progress of the people. Under the guidance of Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji, the 'Double Engine sarkar' will continue to drive development, empower citizens and create new opportunities across West Bengal," Rijiju said.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari described the formation of the BJP government in Bengal as the beginning of a "new era of development and progress" for the state.

After attending the swearing-in ceremony, Gadkari said, "Heartiest congratulations to Shri Suvendu Adhikari Ji on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Bengal. Wishing him a successful tenure marked by progress, good governance, and inclusive development for the people of the state."

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also congratulated Adhikari and expressed hope that the vision of 'Sonar Bangla' would be realised under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi.

In a post on X, CM Yogi said the state "will enter the nectar period of cultural, spiritual, and economic resurgence".

"May your tenure become a golden chapter in fulfilling the aspirations of every individual in Bengal and restoring democratic values -- this is my prayer to Maa Kali," the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister wrote.

Extending his wishes to the newly-inducted ministers as well, CM Yogi said, "Heartfelt congratulations to all the esteemed dignitaries taking the oath of office as ministers in West Bengal today! I am fully confident that you all will accord the highest priority to public service and restore the glory of 'Sonar Bangla'. May the grace of Mother Kali make your tenures glorious and welfare-oriented for the people. Vande Mataram!"

Apart from Suvendu Adhikari, the other leaders who took oath as members of the West Bengal Council of Ministers included former BJP national vice-president and former West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, fashion designer-turned-politician and two-time BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, former BJP Lok Sabha MP and former Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik, along with Ashok Kirtania and Khudiram Tudu.

The swearing-in ceremony marked a historic political shift in West Bengal as the BJP formally assumed power in the state for the first time.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday bowed to the people of West Bengal while attending the swearing-in ceremony of Suvendu Adhikari as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. PM Modi arrived in Kolkata to attend the event.

After entering the Brigade Parade Grounds, PM Modi, accompanied by Chief Minister designate Suvendu Adhikari and state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, took a ride in an open-air jeep and waved at the thousands of BJP workers and supporters who were present at the venue.

The entire Brigade Parade Grounds was decked in saffron colours. A large number of artists were performing to the tune of traditional drums.

After taking a ride in the vehicle, PM Modi went to the stage and met all the dignitaries, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Ministers, Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states and other leaders.

However, PM Modi then greeted Makhanlal Sarkar, one of the most senior workers of the BJP in the state, presented him with a shawl and took his blessings.

Later, the Prime Minister waved to the supporters and workers from the stage and bowed before them, thanking them for giving the BJP such a huge mandate in the West Bengal Assembly elections.

In a social media post, PM Modi said, "I bow to the Jana Shakti of West Bengal!" He also shared a video clip of the moment.

Following this, Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal in Brigade Parade Grounds in the presence of PM Modi and a host of other dignitaries.

After a decade and a half, there has been another political change in the state. After the West Bengal Assembly elections, the BJP has come to power by bringing down the Trinamool Congress government. The party won 207 seats in the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly. Trinamool’s seats have come down to 80 from 215 it won in 2021.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) After Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal and the first Chief Minister of the first BJP-ruled government in the state on Saturday, he was greeted with loud applause from the lakhs of party supporters present at Brigade Parade Ground in central Kolkata as well as the dignitaries present at the dais of the oath ceremony.

A visibly elated Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave Adhikari an affectionate hug. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrapped a saffron scarf around the neck of Adhikari while congratulating him for being the Chief Minister.

Adhikari participated in the oath ceremony sporting a dhoti worn in the traditional Bengali style and a saffron-coloured Kurta.

Besides Adhikari, five other members of the new state’s council of ministers, namely the former national vice-president and former state president of the BJP in West Bengal, Dilip Ghosh, fashion-designer-turned politician and the two-time BJP legislator, Agnimitra Paul, former BJP Lok Sabha member and the former Union Minister of state for Home, Nisith Pramanik, Ashok Kirtania and Khudiram Tudu, were sworn in on Saturday afternoon.

While Adhikari, Ghosh, Paul, Kirtania and Pramanik read out the oath speech in Bengali, Tudu, who hails from a tribal background, read out the same statement in his mother language of Santali, whose official and indigenous alphabetic speech is termed as “Ol Chiki”.

Tudu participated in the oath ceremony sporting a traditional Santali ceremonial attire.

However, the departmental portfolios of the other five ministers are yet to be announced. The announcement is also pending on the names of other members of the state cabinet.

The oath ceremony was administered by West Bengal Governor R. N. Ravi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Ministers from other BJP-ruled states, some members of the Union Cabinet and several top Central BJP leaders.

It is learnt that after the oath ceremony, Adhikari and his cabinet colleagues will first go to the Writers’ Buildings in central Kolkata and from there they will leave for the state Assembly nearby.

As per the schedule fixed so far, the first meeting of the new cabinet will be conducted within the state Assembly premises.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prepares to form its first-ever government in West Bengal on Saturday, party National President Nitin Nabin described the development as a "new dawn of trust" and expressed confidence that the state is entering a new phase of growth and governance.

In a post shared on X, Nabin said the beginning of the BJP rule in Bengal symbolises fresh hope among the people for development, security and better governance under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"A New Dawn of Trust. Today, the first ray of the Sun in Bengal has arrived carrying new hope and trust" in Bengal's development, security, respect for women, employment opportunities for youth, good governance, change and in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Nabin wrote.

"With the trust of the common people, a new government in Bengal is taking oath. Vande Mataram," the BJP President added.

Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is set to take oath as the first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal at a grand ceremony scheduled to be held at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata.

Suvendu had won both the Assembly seats he contested -- Nandigram and Bhabanipur. From Bhabanipur, he defeated Trinamool Congress supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The swearing-in ceremony is expected to witness the presence of top BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President Nitin Nabin, several Union ministers and chief ministers from NDA-ruled states.

The BJP's historic government formation in West Bengal comes days after the results of the Assembly elections were declared on May 4, paving the way for a major political shift in the state.

On Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah formally announced Suvendu Adhikari as the BJP Legislature Party leader and the next Chief Minister of West Bengal.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Shah with newly elected BJP legislators following the party's emphatic performance in the Assembly polls, which ended the long-standing rule of the Trinamool Congress in the state.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) BJP leaders from across the country, including Union Ministers, Chief Ministers and Members of Parliament, arrived in Kolkata to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the first-ever BJP government in Bengal.

Suvendu Adhikari is set to be sworn in as Bengal's first BJP Chief Minister at a ceremony to be held at Brigade Parade Ground.

Rajya Sabha member Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that the day is significant for the people of the state, who, he said, want change in the state.

Shringla, speaking to the reporters, said, "It is a very big day, not only for West Bengal but for the entire country. That is why so many important dignitaries are attending today's event. Besides the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, there are 20 Chief Ministers and Cabinet Ministers present. This is because everybody in India wants to stand in solidarity with the people of West Bengal today."

"For us, who are from Bengal, this is a very big day -- a day for change. We have brought this change, and this change will be very good for the people of West Bengal," Shringla added.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also arrived in Kolkata to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Speaking to the reporters, the Delhi CM said, "I am very happy for Bengal, for the daughters of Bengal, for the women of Bengal, who have endured such a long era of 15 years of oppression and suppression under the TMC government. But now, the people of Bengal have voted for 'Sonar Bangla'. This new dawn is for a Bengal which will witness trust, development and progress. With this, Bengal will move along the rest of the country on the path of progress."

As he arrived in Kolkata, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Suvendu Adhikari will work for development."

Union MoS Jayant Chaudhary, speaking to the reporters, said, "I thank the people of Bengal for the historic mandate. We are looking for Bengal, which can be an economic powerhouse in our country's landscape, to take its rightful place. I express my congratulations, especially to the BJP's grassroots workers. It's going to give a lot of impetus to the entire NDA family."

Speaking to IANS, BJP MLA-elect Dilip Ghosh said, "After many years of struggle, there has been a change in West Bengal. The Bharatiya Janata Party has an opportunity to form the government. An experienced and strong leader from our party has been chosen as the Chief Minister by the party."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Union ministers, and chief ministers of all NDA-ruled states will attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Union MoS Jayant Chaudhary, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami are in Kolkata for the ceremony.

This time, Adhikari got elected simultaneously from his native Nandigram Assembly constituency in East Midnapore district and Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in South Kolkata. At Bhabanipur, he defeated his predecessor and the former Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, by a margin of over 15,000 votes.

Adhikari first earned the 'giant‑killer' tag in the 2021 Assembly elections after defeating Banerjee from Nandigram. With his latest victory, he has once again unseated her, consolidating his position as the unanimous choice to lead the BJP's first government in the state.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The new legislative team of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, led by the new leader of the House and the Chief Minister to be, Suvendu Adhikari, on Friday evening went to Lok Bhavan (previously Raj Bhavan) in Kolkata and placed the demand for forming the new Cabinet in the state to Governor R.N. Ravi.

Also accompanying the team was the State BJP President and Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya, as well as several party parliamentarians from the state and senior state party leaders.

Adhikari and Bhattacharya, jointly handed over the official plea for forming the new state Cabinet carrying the signatures of all the 207 elected BJP legislators.

The oath ceremony will be conducted on Saturday at 10 a.m. which coincides with the birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore as per the Bengali calendar.

The oath ceremony will be administered by Governor Ravi himself in present of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Ministers from other BJP-ruled states, some important members of the Union Cabinet and several top Central BJP leaders.

On Thursday evening, the Governor had issued the order for dissolution of the earlier Assembly, which meant automatic dissolution of the previous Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal Cabinet.

This decision of the Governor automatically made Mamata Banerjee the "former Chief Minister" of West Bengal, although she had not followed the traditional protocol of submitting her resignation to him.

Even after officially becoming the former Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee's Facebook and X accounts carries the tag of "Founder Chairperson All India Trinamool Congress. Honourable Chief Minister, West Bengal".

Suvendu Adhikari will become the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal succeeding Mamata Banerjee, who had occupied the Chair for the last 15 years since 2011, which marked the end of the 24-year Left Front regime in West Bengal and the beginning of the Trinamool Congress government.

After being unanimously selected as the leader of the House and the Chief Minister earlier on Friday, Adhikari said that he will run the new state administration on the basis of "collective leadership" instead shifting all his decisions on the other Cabinet members.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Two anti-land acquisition movements that turned out to be principal architects of the fall of 34-year Left Front regime in West Bengal in 2011 were the one against the Tata Motor's small car project at Singur in Hooghly district and the one at Nandigram in East Midnapore district against the proposed chemical hub project by Indonesia-based Salim Group.

At that point in time, sometime in 2007, Singur was a more high-profile movement catching the attention of the international media because of the involvement of the Tata Group and also because that movement was being led by the former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as the then- principal Opposition face against late Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee-led Left Front government in West Bengal.

However, according political analysts, the true game changer creating mass abhorrence of voters throughout West Bengal towards CPI(M)-led Left Front was because of the developments at Nandigram, especially after the police firing on March 14, 2007, in which 14 persons involved in the anti-land acquisition movement was killed.

While Mamata Banerjee continued leading the Singur movement from the forefront, she left the responsibility of the Nandigram movement on her then trusted lieutenant, Suvendu Adhikari, who is now all set to become the first Chief Minister of a Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in West Bengal since Independence.

The task of Adhikari to hold the fort in Nandigram was really challenging then.

The first challenge was that Nandigram was then virtually surrounded from all sides by the dedicated cadre force of the CPI(M) led by the then three-time Lok Sabha member from Tamluk, Lakshman Chandra Seth, who was then the final word in the entire Tamluk region, including Nandigram.

His second challenge was the administrative pressure to continue with the anti-land acquisition movement, with a huge police contingent also cordoning Nandigram from all sides.

However, in the middle of all these odds, Adhikari kept the movement alive by successfully uniting the villagers at Nandigram to cut away all the approach-ways to the epicentre of the movement and preventing the police forces and CPI(M) from entering Nandigram.

Adhikari at the same time successfully mobilised support from some ultra-left groups to keep the Nandigram movement alive.

Finally on March 14, 2007, the police firing happened killing 14 villagers. That was the beginning of the first symbols of collapse of the 34-year Left Front regime in West Bengal.

Following the police firing, the entire state erupted in protests with intellectuals, celebrities and prominent members of the civil society leading the protests on the streets.

Then came the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, where Congress and Trinamool Congress contested in alliance against the Left Front. Adhikari was nominated as the Trinamool Congress candidate from Tamluk Lok Sabha and in that election he defeated CPI(M)'s Lakshman Chandra Seth by a massive margin of more than 1.70 lakh votes.

Since then, there was no looking back for him. He got re-elected from Tamluk Lok Sabha again in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. However, before the 2016 West Bengal Assembly polls, Mamata Banerjee wanted Adhikari as a member of the West Bengal Cabinet and in 2016, he successfully contested from Nandigram Assembly constituency and thereafter became the state Transport Minister.

As the state Transport Minister, he successfully ran the show by adopting several steps to improve the state-run transport system in West Bengal. He is credited with the initiative of introducing fuel-efficient and environment friendly electric-buses in the different state transport corporations.

At that point in time, Adhikari was considered as the most trusted lieutenant of the then Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee. However, his differences with both the party leadership and Mamata Banerjee started surfacing since 2019, especially before the Lok Sabha polls that year, when she allowed her nephew and party Lok Sabha member, Abhishek Banerjee to take all important party organisational decisions and even influencing the decisions of the state Cabinet, which prompted several old-timers in Trinamool Congress, including feeling ignored and betrayed.

The differences between Adhikari and the Trinamool Congress leadership widened further after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP achieved its best ever electoral performance in West Bengal by winning from 18 of 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal.

Adhikari then openly criticised flawed political policies on part of Trinamool Congress and flawed administrative policies of the state government as the reasons behind BJP's meteoric electoral success in West Bengal.

Then in 2020, Abhishek Banerjee, roped in Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) as Trinamool Congress vote strategy agency. However, instead of operating as a vote-strategy agency of the party, I-PAC started influencing important administrative decisions in a number of Ministries, including that of Adhikari, which was beyond his limits to succumb.

Finally, before the 2021 Assembly election, Adhikari resigned both as a member of the state Cabinet as well as a legislator and joined the BJP in presence of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He contested as the BJP candidate in 2021 from his native constituency of Nandigram and emerged as the giant killer by defeating the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who contested as a Trinamool Congress candidate from Nandigram.

Later, Mamata Banerjee got elected in a by-election from Bhabanipur and retained her chair as the Chief Minister for the third consecutive term.

However, in 2021, with BJP finishing the tally with just 77 MLAs, Adhikari became the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly.

As the Leader of the Opposition, he became extremely active in moving around throughout the state organising mass movement on burning issues like cash-for-jobs, atrocities over Hindus, women harassment at Sandeshkhali and finally the ghastly rape and murder of a woman junior doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata within the hospital premises.

In all his public meetings at that point of time, Suvendu Adhikari launched scathing attacks against Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, and described the duo as the pillars of the "corrupt regime" in West Bengal.

At the same time, whenever the Assembly was in session, he continued with the same attacks against Mamata Banerjee within the floor of the House. Because of aggressive verbal attacks within the House, he was also suspended from the House a number of times by the erstwhile Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay.

However, despite his suspension, Adhikari carried out his protests leading the other BJP legislators within the Assembly premises, though he could not step on the floor of the House.

At the same time, what he silently did was making the BJP's organisation strength extremely watertight not just in his native constituency of Nandigram but in the entire East Midnapore district.

His efforts reaped fruits for the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Although the BJP's seat tally in West Bengal in 2024 came down to just 12 in 2024 from 18 in 2019, BJP candidates won from both the Lok Sabha constituencies of Tamluk and Kanthi in East Midnapore district, which were absolutely Trinamool Congress fortresses since 2009.

From Tamluk, the winning BJP candidate was the former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, while from Kanthi, the winning BJP candidate was Adhikari's younger brother, Soumendu Adhikari.

From 2009 to 2024, the sitting MP from Kanthi was Adhikari's father and most-respected veteran politician from the district, Sishir Adhikari.

Even in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, BJP candidate emerged victorious from all the 16 Assembly constituencies in East Midnapore district.

Finally, when the results of the Assembly elections were declared on May 4, BJP ended the tally winning from 207 constituencies, reducing the Trinamool Congress to just 80.

Adhikari got elected from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, and Mamata Banerjee had to again face defeat by a margin of more than 15,000 votes from Bhabanipur.

Being the giant-killer by defeating a sitting Chief Minister twice, first in 2021 and then in 2024, Suvendu Adhikari, virtually became the unanimous choice as the Chief Minister of the first BJP-ruled government in West Bengal since Independence.

Finally, on Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah gave seal to Adhikari's name as an unanimously accepted leader of BJP's Legislative Party in West Bengal Assembly and hence the next Chief Minister.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) After Union Home Minister Amit Shah officially announced Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari as the next Chief Minister of West Bengal, Adhikari said that the decision reflects the "democracy" within the party whose elected representatives have chosen the leader.

Speaking to reporters, Adhikari expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Nitin Nabin and Home Minister Shah for the opportunity.

"This is the democracy in BJP where elected representatives have chosen the leader. I will work to fulfill the commitments made during the elections, taking both the party organisation and the people together," he said.

Adhikari had defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from Bhabanipur Assembly constituency and also won from Nandigram. In a landslide victory, the BJP won 208 seats in the state Assembly polls.

BJP leaders also exhibited their happiness over Adhikari's appointment as the new West Bengal Chief Minister.

BJP leader Locket Chatterjee said the dream to bring "poriborton" (change) in Bengal has been fulfilled today.

She said: "Suvendu Da as well as our party workers have fought very hard. Many of the BJP workers have been martyred. Today their souls would be at peace."

Emphasising that this is the first time a BJP government will be formed in the state, Chatterjee asserted that the party, under the leadership of the new Chief Minister and Bengal BJP Chief Samik Bhattacharya, will work in tandem with the people of the state.

"We will together create 'Sonar Bangla'," she said, adding: "The double engine government will work towards providing security to women."

BJP MLA-elect Bankim Chandra Ghosh said: "I and all other MLAs are very happy. We all supported Suvendu Da together."

"The people of Bengal are also very happy," he added.

Husband of BJP MLA-elect Ratna Debnath, Sekhar Ranjan Debnath, also supported the decision of the party.

"The party has chosen the person it felt was most suitable for the post," he told IANS.

BJP MLA-elect Chandra Sekhar Banerjee asserted that the appointment as West Bengal Chief Minister is the result of Suvendu Adhikari's "hard work" for so many years.

"The people of Bengal have got freedom from Mamata Banerjee's 'jungle raj'," he said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) A day before the swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP government in West Bengal, party leaders on Friday said it is the "second freedom" for the state after Independence. They also expressed optimism that the state will now move towards development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

Notably, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is set to become the party's first Chief Minister in West Bengal on Saturday.

BJP MP Raju Bista said: "This moment is even more important because the country has seen one freedom but West Bengal has seen two freedoms. One from the British, and the second freedom from the Congress, CPM, and Trinamool Congress."

"Today, the people of West Bengal want to move forward on the path of development, walking step by step with the country," he added.

BJP MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato said the Trinamool Congress should "go on a tour".

"Trinamool Congress was running its government with the people of only one community. But the coming government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, will be run with 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas'," he said.

Mahato also asserted that the people of West Bengal won't accept Trinamool Congress anymore.

He said the swearing-in ceremony in Bengal will be a "historic" one.

Delhi BJP President, Virendra Sachdeva, said it is 'significant' for the party to form a government in West Bengal.

He claimed Bengal had been deprived of development and was instead being known for exploitation, and intrusion. "Now we will witness an all-around development under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi," he told IANS.

Extending her best wishes for the new Bengal government, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister, Diya Kumari, said: Due to everyone’s hard work, our government is going to be formed with such a huge majority. The 'goonda raj', atrocities, and politics of appeasement that have been going on in Bengal will now come to an end."

BJP leader Debasree Chaudhuri said that in this election, the BJP has given opportunity to women from every section of the society.

"Whether they are women working in households, a woman whose daughter was a victim of abuse and murder, or those engaged in other occupations. Women from every class have been represented," she mentioned.

BJP MLA-elect Agnimitra Paul echoed: "Our dream is to have a 'Sonar Bangla'. Our responsibility has increased for all our voters, especially women, who have supported us."

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak alleged: “Whether it is leaders of the Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, or the Congress, the leaders of the INDIA bloc are completely disappointed and frustrated."

"Under the leadership of the world’s most popular leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal will now move towards development," he asserted.

Source: IANS

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Rishikesh, May 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Virendra Sachdeva on Friday hailed the party's victory in West Bengal as a "historic moment" for the party and said the state would now move towards "Sonar Bangla" with inclusive development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking to IANS, Sachdeva said the BJP government coming to power in West Bengal was a matter of pride and tribute to Syama Prasad Mukherjee's vision and sacrifice.

"It is a very big day for us to form the government in West Bengal. The land of Syama Prasad Mukherjee, the ideology he gave birth to is now being realised, and the party also pays tribute to his sacrifice. This is an emotional day for every party worker," he added.

He alleged that Bengal had long suffered from lack of development, exploitation and infiltration, and expressed confidence that the state would now witness inclusive growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Bengal, which has been deprived of development, which has been known for exploitation, and which has been known for intrusion, should now see all-encompassing development under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi," Sachdeva affirmed.

Reiterating the BJP's commitment towards the state, the Delhi BJP President said the party has consistently promised to transform Bengal into a "Sonar Bangla".

"We have always assured the people of Bengal, and we continue to reassure them that we are committed to transforming Bengal into 'Sonar Bangla' and ensuring that every resident of the state gets their rightful due. The BJP is working dedicatedly towards this goal," he added.

Commenting on the broader electoral scenario, Sachdeva said the election outcomes reflected the strength of Indian democracy and the people's mandate across different regions.

"This is the beauty of our democracy that people in every region make their own decisions, and that should be accepted," he added.

Highlighting the BJP's stellar poll performance in multiple states, Sachdeva noted, "In the five states, we have been successful in forming the government in Bengal. In Assam, the government has been formed for the third time. In Puducherry, it has been formed for the second time."

He also claimed that the BJP had improved its support base in Tamil Nadu and Kerala compared to previous state elections.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party has received more support compared to before in Tamil Nadu and Kerala," Sachdeva said.

Source: IANS

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Panihati (West Bengal), May 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Ratna Debnath, BJP MLA-elect and mother of the trainee doctor who was sexually assaulted and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Friday alleged on Friday that certain activists from the Trinamool Congress are posing as BJP supporters and indulging in post-poll violence in West Bengal. She further asserted that no Trinamool activist will be allowed to be a part of the BJP.

Speaking to IANS, Debnath, who won from the Panihati Assembly constituency, said: "Our former Chief Minister's (Mamata Banerjee) time is over but still she has refused to resign, saying she has not lost the polls. All this (violence) is the result of her madness."

"Few activists of her party (Trinamool) are putting saffron colour on themselves and indulging in violence," she alleged.

"I will not allow anyone from the Trinamool to enter my party. No miscreant will enter," she asserted.

She further alleged: “In Panihati, post-poll violence is still taking place in different areas. Some Trinamool activists are putting colour on themselves and posing as BJP supporters and carrying out vandalism."

Debnath mentioned that she has complained about the incidents at two police stations.

"The officers said that those people (activists) have claimed to be close to me. I told them that being ‘close’ does not mean anything—even if I do something wrong, I should be treated according to the law," she said.

Ratna Debnath confirmed that a bomb blast has occurred at number 14 ward in the constituency.

"Four people had to be admitted in the hospital. One even had to undergo surgery," she said.

The BJP leader also said that police officials have been informed that the administration should be able to function freely.

Referring to the murder of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's aide, Debnath said: "It was a pre-planned murder. I was not able to tolerate the news and have fallen sick since then."

Debnath called Adhikari's executive assistant Chandranath Rath a "nice person".

"He used to visit our house, even without Suvendu Da (Adhikari), and that is why I am not able to accept his death," she said.

About plans for the people of her constituency, the BJP leader said: "Locals have conveyed me their problems. I will have a meeting with them and try to resolve their issues."

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the West Bengal Police, which is probing the murder of Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant (PA) to Suvednu Adhikari, has successfully located and retrieved the second motorcycle involved in the crime that occurred on the night of May 6 in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas.

Initially, it was reported that while Rath was returning home on Wednesday night after attending a BJP programme, his vehicle was being followed by just one motorcycle ridden by the assailant. However, insiders from the state police said, Rath's vehicle was shadowed by two motorcycles.

While one of the two motorcycles was recovered on Thursday afternoon from an abandoned place near the scene of assassination at Doharia crossing at Madhyamgram, the other motorcycle has been traced by the investigating official, at another abandoned place near a rail-gate at Barasat, also in North 24 Parganas.

Earlier, the police also recovered the four-wheeler, which blocked the path of Rath’s vehicle, so that motorcycle-borne assailants could stop by his vehicle and shoot at him several times from a close range, ensuring his death on the spot.

However, the investigating officials have not been able to arrest anyone so far.

The assassination of Rath took place on Wednesday at around 10.30 p.m. while he was returning to his home at Madhyamgram in his vehicle. The driver of his vehicle, Buddhadeb Bera, was also hit by a bullet and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kolkata.

Already, the investigating officials have got information that the number plates of both the four-wheeler which blocked Rath's vehicle and the first motorcycle, which was recovered on Thursday, were fake.

The investigating officials doubt that the number plate of the second motorcycle, which was recovered on Friday afternoon, is also fake.

A source in the state police said the manner in which the assassination was carried out indicated that the operation had been planned well in advance and that Rath’s daily movements had been under surveillance for a considerable period.

The source added that the way the assailant stopped beside Rath’s vehicle, fired at least 10 rounds from close range, and escaped immediately afterwards suggested that the killer was an experienced and professional sharpshooter.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata on Friday to choose the new leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Legislative Party in the West Bengal Assembly, who will assume the role of the new Chief Minister of the state following the BJP’s resounding victory in the recently held elections, the results of which were announced on May 4.

His flight landed at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at around 11 a.m. He was greeted at the airport by top state BJP leaders of West Bengal, namely the party state president and Rajya Sabha member, Samik Bhattacharya and the former Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.

From the airport, the Union Home Minister went straight to the iconic Goddess Kali temple in the North 24 Parganas district, where he offered prayers.

His next destination is a hotel in the New Town in the northern outskirts of Kolkata, where he will have lunch. Thereafter, he will be holding a meeting with the newly elected BJP legislators at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, also in New Town.

At the meeting, the leader of the BJP’s Legislative Party in the Assembly, who will also be the first BJP chief minister of West Bengal since independence, will be selected.

After selection, the new leader of the BJP’s Legislative Party and the future Chief Minister will go to Lok Bhaban in Kolkata and place the plea for forming the new state cabinet to the Governor, R.N. Ravi.

As per HM Shah’s schedule provided by the West Bengal unit of the BJP, he will be staying at the same hotel in New Town. On Saturday morning, from the hotel, he will go straight to the Brigade Parade Ground in central Kolkata, where the oath ceremony of the CM and the new cabinet will be held.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, HM Shah, Chief Ministers from other BJP-ruled states and top central leaders of the party will be present at the oath ceremony.

Extensive security arrangements are already in place at the Brigade Parade Ground for the ceremony on Saturday, which will start from 10 a.m.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Celebrity Bengali film, TV producer-turned-politician and former Trinamool Congress legislator, Raj Chakrabarty, has announced his permanent sabbatical from politics and has said that he will concentrate on his film career henceforth.

Chakraborty, who was the Trinamool Congress legislator from Barrackpore Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal from 2021 to 2026, was defeated by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and senior counsel of Calcutta High Court, Kaustav Bagchi, by over 15,000 votes.

Chakrabarty has issued a social media statement about his quitting politics.

“Whenever I was given any responsibility in my life, I always tried to fulfill that responsibility with dedication and honesty. I tried fulfilling that responsibility to the best of my ability. As film director I tried to entertain the viewers through the movies directed by me. At times I have won and at times I have lost. I stepped into political life in 2021. People gave me the scope to serve them. For the last five years, I tried to fulfill my responsibilities as an elected legislator. The chapter ends in 2026. At the same time, my journey in the world of politics too ends,” write Chakraborty, the director of the popular Bengali OTT series of 'Proloy, Abar Proloy' and 'Abar Proloy-2'.

In his message, he has also expressed hope that the new BJP-ruled state government will drive West Bengal towards prosperity and development. "The people of Bengal have given their verdict and a new government will be sworn in on May 9. I hope the state will move further on the path of development," Chakrabarty’s post read.

Chakrabarty is the second celebrity politician from the Trinamool Congress camp to express a desire to keep away from political activities since the landslide defeat of the party.

Earlier, soon after the results were announced, actor-turned-politician and three-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Deepak Adhikari a.k.a. Dev, announced to the media that henceforth he will "shrink his political career and instead concentrate on his career of acting and film production".

However, like Chakrabarty, he did not make any announcement of a permanent sabbatical from politics.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Mamata Banerjee is officially now a “former Chief Minister” of West Bengal, following Governor R.N. Ravi's announcement of the dissolution of the state Legislative Assembly, which also means the automatic end of the previous state Cabinet led by her.

The Governor announced this on Thursday evening. However, in her official social media handles (both X and Facebook), she continues to retain the 'Chief Minister of West Bengal' information.

A click on the about section of both her X and Facebook handles shows her identity as -- 'Founder Chairperson All India Trinamool Congress. Honourable Chief Minister, West Bengal'.

The claims about her identity in the social media handles are in line with what she said at a press conference on May 5, that is, the day after the results of the West Bengal Assembly Election, 2026, which marked a landslide victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and also the end of the 15-year Trinamool Congress regime in the state.

In that press conference, Mamata Banerjee clearly said she would not follow the tradition of submitting her resignation to the Governor since she felt that the official results were not a reflection of the actual public mandate, thus making it clear she was not accepting either the Trinamool Congress' defeat in the entire West Bengal or her personal defeat at the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency.

At Bhabanipur, she was defeated by Suvendu Adhikari, the then outgoing and now former Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, by over 15,000 votes.

Her present actions resurrect the memories of the actions by her predecessor and the last Chief Minister of the CPI(M)-led Left Front regime in West Bengal, Late Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, on May 13, 2011, when the results of the West Bengal Assembly elections 2011 were announced.

At around 1 a.m. on that day, although the final results were not officially announced, the trend was clear that the 34-year Left Front regime was ending and the Trinamool Congress regime was beginning. Bhattacharjee went to Raj Bhavan, met the then-governor M.K. Narayanan, and submitted his resignation.

Bhattacharjee went to Raj Bhavan in the state-provided bulletproof vehicle that he was entitled to as the then Chief Minister of West Bengal. However, after submitting his resignation, instead of using the car he was entitled to as the Chief Minister, he got into another car provided by his party, CPI(M) and left the scene.

Before leaving, he thanked his escorting security personnel for being with him for a long time and then requested them not to remain engaged in his security duty further.

BJP’s former state president in West Bengal and the Union Minister of State, Sukanta Majumdar, also acknowledged the gesture of Bhattacharjee on that day while comparing the same with the present actions of Mamata Banerjee.

“There cannot be any comparison between Late Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Mamata Banerjee. Despite differences in political ideology, I have no hesitation in accepting and admitting the fact that Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was a man of impeccable honesty and integrity. He was never a power-hungry person, which he proved till the end of his life,” Majumdar said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be in Kolkata on Friday to chair a crucial meeting of the BJP’s newly elected MLAs to decide the party’s chief minister for West Bengal, in a key step ahead of government formation in the state.

The meeting of the BJP legislature party will determine the leader of the house, a process that will effectively finalise the next Chief Minister. Senior central leaders are overseeing the selection process as the party moves to form its first government in the state.

The development comes at a politically significant moment after the formal tenure of the previous West Bengal government ended on Thursday. The Governor issued a notification dissolving the 17th West Bengal Legislative Assembly, officially bringing the Assembly’s existence to a close as of May 7.

Despite the dissolution, outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has retained her “Chief Minister of West Bengal” designation on social media platforms, continuing to describe herself as the incumbent across Facebook, Instagram and X.

The election outcome has also drawn attention due to intense constituency-level shifts. Of the 95 BJP victories where deletion numbers exceeded winning margins, 80 were seats the party had not previously held. The BJP retained all 77 seats it won in 2021 and added 130 new seats overall.

In Bhabanipur, Mamata Banerjee’s own constituency in south Kolkata, she lost to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari by 15,105 votes, while voter roll deletions stood at 45,240 -- three times the margin. In Tollyganj, minister Aroop Biswas lost by 6,013 votes, with 33,533 deletions recorded. Jadavpur, a former Left bastion, saw a BJP win by 27,716 votes alongside 45,892 deletions. In Indus, the BJP retained its seat by just 900 votes, while 4,617 names were removed from the rolls.

With the Legislative Assembly now dissolved and political transition underway, all eyes are on the BJP legislature party meeting, which will formally set the stage for the announcement of West Bengal’s new Chief Minister.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday met Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata and extended support to her following the party’s crushing defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, while launching a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the conduct of the polls and the post-election situation in the state.

The meeting took place at Banerjee’s Kalighat residence, where Yadav also met TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. On his arrival, the Samajwadi Party chief greeted Mamata Banerjee by draping a shawl around her neck and said, "Didi, you have not lost," praising her political struggle and resilience amid the BJP’s sweeping victory that ended the TMC’s 15-year rule in West Bengal.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Yadav said he had closely observed the Bengal elections because of the language and behaviour displayed by the BJP during the campaign.

"We all saw the election. I was watching it very closely because of the way the Bengal election was going to take place, the language used, and the behaviour of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In the past, whatever the BJP has done in Bengal, they did less in Uttar Pradesh, but they did the trial there," he said.

The SP chief accused the BJP of creating an atmosphere of fear and chaos during and after the elections. "BJP works in a way that spreads chaos. It was assured that numerous companies would remain here and manage the security arrangements even after the election. Where are those companies now?" he asked, referring to the deployment of central security forces during the polls.

Yadav also alleged misuse of the administrative machinery and selective posting of officers during the elections. "What happened in West Bengal, can you imagine that 3 lakh central forces would be sent? Officers were posted selectively. It has also been heard that officers were told, 'Ensure victory in the elections and we will give you good positions'," he claimed.

Praising Mamata Banerjee’s political fighting spirit, Yadav said the BJP sees her as a major challenge because she represents women and is a strong voice against them. "Mamata Banerjee is a fighter and is not someone who will lose hope. She bothers the Bharatiya Janata Party because she represents half the population," he remarked.

Calling for opposition unity, the SP chief said democratic forces across the country must come together. "The effort will be that everyone works together because democracy has to be saved. They want to destroy democracy and take away our right to vote," he said.

The developments come amid heightened political tension in West Bengal, where the transition of power following the BJP’s landmark electoral victory continues to remain politically charged.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday attributed Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's defeat in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency as the reason his executive assistant Chandranath Rath was murdered.

Speaking to reporters, Adhikari said that there was only one reason for killing Chandranath Rath.

"He (Rath) was my executive assistant. And Mamata Banerjee had lost to Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur according to the results of the Assembly polls. This is the only reason," he added.

Condemning the incident, Adhikari said: "This is a personal loss to me. If I was not a BJP leader, maybe he would have not been targeted."

He added: "I feel that Rath's family members may think that if he (Rath) did not work for me or had I not defeated the (former West Bengal) Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) in Bhabanipur then maybe he would have not been killed."

Extending his support to Rath's family, Adhikari said that the family has demanded that the accused be arrested and immediately.

"The culprits should be charge-sheeted and convicted at the earliest," he added.

Emphasising that the murder was properly planned, the BJP leader said: "It was a pre-planned cold blooded murder. Even a recee was conducted before it."

Adhikari also added: "After conducting (Rath's) post mortem, the doctor said that four bullets were recovered from his body. They targeted all the passages of the heart. The bullets were shot from a very close range."

"They (attackers) had aimed to hit that part of his body which would lead to immediate death. The murderers were specialists and dangerous terrorists," he added.

Accusing the Trinamool Congress for the incident, Adhikari referred to the party as that of "murderers and rapists".

"They are not just thieves, but a company style gang of murderers and goons. All of them work for Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee," he said.

Adhikari also alleged that the Trinamool is attempting to "disrupt" the law and order before the swearing-in ceremony on May 9.

He expressed gratitude to the BJP and the public for standing by him in such a moment of crisis.

Adhikari said that several Left Front leaders also reached out to pay tribute to Rath.

About investigation into the case, the BJP leader added: "The West Bengal DGP has informed that the investigation has progressed. The motorcycle has been recovered from a distance of 4 km from the incident place."

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) President and MLA Humayun Kabir on Thursday condemned the killing of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari's personal assistant Chandranath Das in West Bengal and called for immediate action against those responsible, while also commenting on the ongoing political tensions and violence in the state.

Speaking to IANS, Kabir said the incident should not have taken place, especially after what he described as peaceful elections conducted in two phases.

"This should not have happened. The elections are over peacefully, and the voting was conducted smoothly in two phases. There should be no such violence or bloodshed. Whoever has committed this incident should be arrested and taken into custody as soon as possible," he added.

Reacting to allegations of violence against BJP workers by Trinamool Congress supporters, Kabir said the atmosphere in Bengal had changed since the 2021 Assembly elections, when several BJP workers were allegedly attacked and displaced.

"That time is over now. In 2021, many BJP workers were killed and driven out of their homes. Today, the BJP is peaceful, but if someone targets their workers, they will definitely take action. No party worker should be murdered," the AJUP Chief added.

Kabir also addressed speculation surrounding the absence of 11 MLAs from a recent Trinamool Congress legislators meeting, claiming that the BJP had not opened its doors to induct Trinamool leaders despite growing political discussions in the state.

"Even today, the BJP has not opened its doors to take in any Trinamool Congress MLA, former MLA, or leader. If the BJP had opened its doors, many people would have joined it," the AJUP Chief remarked.

On Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s reported meeting with BJP MLAs in West Bengal, Kabir said the BJP remained a strong national force with influence across the country.

"The BJP is such a big party and a national party. It has its presence in 20 states. On the May 9, there will be an oath-taking ceremony, with many Chief Ministers and the Prime Minister attending," he added.

In a lighter moment, Kabir also spoke about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he would like to host him if given the opportunity.

"If I get a chance, I will definitely feed him 'jhalmuri'," the AJUP Chief said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) From "Dum Dum Dawai" (Dum Dum medicine) to "sayesta kora" (to punish) or "chomke deoa" (to surprise or alarm), politics in West Bengal is laced with euphemism that translates into anything from domination to revenge, but it is perhaps for the first time that a party winning the poll verdict is largely facing violence.

Across Congress, Left Front, and Trinamool Congress eras, Bengal's political violence showed continuity more than rupture, with aggression aimed at the vanquished.

The term "Dum Dum Dawai" has no relation to medical treatment or a pharmaceutical product. The origin can be traced to the 1960s "khadya andolan" when a severe food crisis hit West Bengal.

It was marked by mass mobilisation and violence as people sought improvement in the Public Distribution System (PDS).

It remained in vogue during the Left regime to imply "remedy" for nagging local issues.

Used as a political euphemism, it stood for "direct action" or harsh punishment for those who questioned or resisted the regime.

As ruling parties tended to inherit local coercive networks, criminals shifted allegiance to the dominant force.

Through times, certain structural features remained constant, like cadre-based territorial control, politicised local administration, and the use of criminal intermediaries.

Local "dadas" and "mastans" (goons) were used in through the polls and later to dominate booths, panchayats, and the Opposition.

Nicknames such as "Haathkata" (one-handed), "Gaalkata" (scar-faced or slashed-cheek), "Kana" (one-eyed), "Bagha" (associated with tiger), were among the common identifiers in the criminal-political ecosystem.

Veteran Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, in a candid TV interview, had once admitted to the significance of violence in politics, even about his own involvement.

He, too, was hounded by alleged Left-linked musclemen; evaded death, went underground -- sometimes hiding at the residence of a senior state Congress leader in Kolkata.

The latter himself was said to hold enough power to even keep those in the regime at bay.

The early 1970s -- especially during the anti-Maoist crackdown -- faced allegations of Congress-backed "youth gangs", police excesses reportedly supported by politically-connected local enforcers.

The phrase "scientific rigging" was not yet mainstream, but opposition parties, especially the CPI(M), accused Congress governments of manipulating elections through intimidation and administrative control.

It was the Left Front era that particularly faced allegations of "scientific rigging" and cadre domination.

The term referred to voter-list manipulation, booth management, intimidation before and on polling day, and "captured" areas where the Opposition could not campaign, and neither could electors exercise their franchise.

The Nandigram episode particularly damaged the Left's legitimacy.

Police firing and clashes during anti-land acquisition protests became symbolic of state-backed coercion.

The CPI(M) officially projected ideological discipline, but local politics often depended on enforcers.

"Unions" and "local committees" faced accusations of extortion and intimidation.

The Trinamool Congress era allegedly decentralised strongmen and saw "cut money" politics.

When it displaced the Left in 2011, critics said that the organisational machinery of coercion did not disappear -- it merely changed hands.

Even early in the Trinamool rule, Left parties alleged widespread post-poll violence.

The party's uncrowned king in Birbhum, Anubrata Mondal, has openly used inflammatory remarks and controversial public statements encouraging aggressive tactics.

Other leaders and MLAs have reportedly been involved in multiple controversies and legal cases, with frequent links in media reports to strong-arm local politics.

The 2018 panchayat polls became notorious because many Opposition candidates reportedly could not even file nominations in parts of rural Bengal.

Several died or were severely injured.

The Trinamool years witnessed accusations beyond booth violence and into "tolabaaji" (extortion), "syndicates", "cut money" collection -- a fact criticised by party supremo Mamata Banerjee herself.

The 2021 Assembly election aftermath became one of the most nationally discussed episodes.

The BJP, Congress, and Left parties accused the ruling party cadres of targeting opponents.

After its recent comprehensive defeat in polls, the Trinamool leadership has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attacks and intimidation.

But the victors are themselves targets of post-poll violence that saw the brutal killing of BJP members, including the late Wednesday murder of Chandranath Rath, Personal Secretary to Suvendu Adhikari.

Adhikari, the senior BJP leader who defeated Mamata Banerjee in her home turf of Bhabanipur, has said that the new administration intends to reopen all files on reported poll violence so that justice is ensured for the victims.

Meanwhile, Trinamool spokesperson Riju Dutta claimed that BJP leaders treated him well after the May 4 verdict, while his own party members are hounding him.

Others have blamed Trinamool leaders themselves for the party's collapse and subsequent violence.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) Hasi Rani Rath, the mother of Chandranath Rath, who served as the personal assistant to Suvendu Adhikari for many years, claimed on Thursday that her son bore the consequences of his significant contribution to Adhikari's victory over the outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in South Kolkata during the recently held West Bengal Assembly elections.

She also said that provocative and vindictive statements given by the Trinamool Congress leaders during their pre-election campaign rallies were also a fueling factor behind the tragic end of her son, who was shot dead at Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday night.

Besides being a personal assistant to Adhikari, Rath was also one of the important members of Adhikari’s core team handling his campaign affairs in Bhabanipur.

"My son was in charge of campaigns for both Bhabanipur and Nandigram, where the outgoing Leader of Opposition contested and got elected simultaneously. Probably that is why my son became a target, especially because of the defeat of Mamata Banerjee from Bhabanipur,” Rath’s mother told media persons on Thursday afternoon.

According to her, even after such a thumping victory in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly polls, the BJP leaders are constantly asking party workers to show restraint and refrain from taking the law into their own hands. The previous ruling party leaders in their pre-poll rallies constantly threatened dire consequences after the polls.

“That is exactly what they did to my son. My request to the new state government is that they should ensure strict punishments for my son’s killers," he demanded.

However, despite that, she had not demanded capital punishment for the killers. "I want the guilty to be punished. Since I am a mother of a child, I will not demand that the culprits be hanged. But let there be life imprisonment. I would request the new government that comes in to ensure the guilty people are punished,” she said.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) A BJP supporter has been hacked to death in English Bazar in West Bengal's Malda district, said the police on Thursday.

The police said that the incident took place late Wednesday night in the Gadua More area of ​​Ward No.1 of English Bazar Municipality.

The name of the deceased BJP supporter is Kishan Haldar (28).

The family alleged that some people called him on Wednesday night. He went out after getting the call and never returned.

His body was recovered in the Baganpara area of ​​Maheshpur, about 500 meters away from his house. A large knife was recovered beside the body.

The initial assumption of the police is that Kishan was hacked to death with a cleaver. It is reported that two of his friends were also injured in the incident. Several people, including his neighbour Golam Halder and his son Suman Halder, have been charged in the incident.

The BJP has, however, claimed that it is not a political murder. There was a dispute between some youths in the area over an issue. It is reported that Kishan had a dispute with Golam Halder and Suman Halder. So far, the police have arrested two people in connection with the incident. They were arrested earlier in the morning.

The BJP claimed that the accused also has no political affiliation.

Immediately after the incident, the central forces and police reached the spot. Tension spread in the area due to the incident. The police recovered the body and sent it for an autopsy.

It may be noted that since the West Bengal Assembly elections results were declared on May 4, reports of post-poll violence have been coming from across the state. In some incidents, Trinamool Congress workers were beaten up, their party offices were vandalised, and party posters were destroyed. In some places, BJP workers were targeted, with many sustaining injuries. The police have said that strong action would be initiated against those who would indulge in such activities.

Source: IANS

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