Bhojpuri Star Pawan Singhs Mother Registers Candidacy for Karakat Seat

Bhojpuri Star Pawan Singhs Mother Registers Candidacy for Karakat Seat Pratima Devi, the mother of Bhojpuri superstar Pawan Singh, filed nomination for the Karakat Lok Sabha seat, which her son is contesting as an Independent. Neither Singh nor his mother made any statement about the move. Former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, who heads the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, is the NDA candidate in Karakat. The RJD-led Mahagathbandhan has fielded CPI(M-L) Liberation's Rajaram Singh in the seat, which will go to the polls on June 1. Speculations are rife that Pratima Devi, who filed the nomination on Tuesday as an Independent, entered the fray as her son, a BJP member, might withdraw from the contest. Singh, who turned down a BJP ticket from Asansol in West Bengal, has been advised by senior party leaders not to contest against the NDA nominee, sources said. He is understood to have lobbied with opposition parties like the RJD for a Lok Sabha ticket from Bihar before deciding to fight as an Independent candidate. The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers is May 17.

West Bengal coal scam: Key accused Anup Majhi surrenders before court in Asansol

Anup Majhi, aka Lala, surrendered in a West Bengal coal theft scam. CBI to submit chargesheet on May 21. Gurupada Majhi remains in Tihar Jail.

Bengal coal smuggling case: Prime accused Anup Majhi surrenders in special CBI court

Shillong, May 14: Anup Majhi a.k.a. Lala, one of the prime accused in the coal smuggling case in West Bengal, on Tuesday surrendered in a special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at Asansol in West Burdwan district. Lala had escaped arrest by the CBI sleuths because of a protection against arrest provided [] The post Bengal coal smuggling case: Prime accused Anup Majhi surrenders in special CBI court appeared first on The Shillong Times .

Shotgun on poll field, Ahluwalia in war room

In Asansol, BJP and Trinamool clash in intense turf war as TMC eyes seat retention and BJP aims to reclaim. Sinha engages voters while Ahluwalia handles complaints in a tense 'war room', both confident of victory.

LS polls: EVM snags, violence in Bengal

KOLKATA: Sporadic clashes marred the fourth phase of voting for the eight Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal on Monday with a high voter turnout of 75.66%, election officials said. The Bolpur (SC) constituency from where Asit Kumar Mal from Trinamool Congress, Shyamali Pradhan from CPM, and Priya Saha from BJP are the key contestants, polled the highest vote percentage at 77.77. Around 1,700 complaints of EVM malfunction and obstruction of agents entering booths were recorded, the EC said, adding the TMC, Congress, and BJP filed hundreds of complaints related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on agents. In voter percentage, Bolpur (SC) was followed by Ranaghat (77.46%), Bardhaman-Purba (77.36), Krishnanagar (77.29), Birbhum (75.45), Baharampur (75.36), Bardhaman-Durgapur (75.02) and Asansol (69.46), an official said. Out of the eight seats, Bolpur, Bardhaman-Purba, Birbhum and Krishnanagar were won by the Trinamool in 2019, whereas Bardhaman-Durgapur, Ranaghat and Asansol were bagged by the BJP. The Baharampur seat was retained by the Congress. Clashes broke out between supporters of TMC and BJP in Monteswars Susunia area of Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat around noon, as BJP candidate Dilip Ghosh was on his way to a polling booth following complaints of booth jamming. TMC supporters allegedly blocked Ghoshs convoy and squatted in front of his vehicle, starting a protest against him. Stones were hurled at his convoy, following which some of the cars of the security personnel tailing his convoy were damaged. Ghosh was also heckled by the TMC activists, sources said. The police are mute spectators. The TMC has let loose a reign of terror. TMC goons have beaten up our polling agents and are not allowing polling to be free and fair, Ghosh told the media. The TMC, however, denied the charges and said Ghosh was trying to vitiate the atmosphere sensing defeat. In Durgapur area of the same constituency, clashes broke out between the TMC and the BJP, following which saffron activists staged a sit-in. Party clash In Birbhum, the BJP workers clashed with TMC men in Nanoor after BJPs agents were stopped from entering booths.

Asansol aaj apki baari hai: Sonakshi Sinha urges voters to exercise their franchise

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Sporadic clashes overshadow impressive turnout in Bengal

Kolkata: Violence marred the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha Election covering eight parliamentary constituencies, where many heavyweights were in fray, in West Bengal on Monday amid an average voter's turnout of 75.66%. While Bolpur in Birbhum recorded highest polling 77.77%, Ranaghat clocked 77.46% followed by Bardhaman Purba- 77.36%, Krishnanagar- 77.29%, Birbhum- 75.45%, Berhampore- 75.36%, Bardhaman-Durgapur- 75.02% and Asansol- 69.43%. Though the voter's turnout looked impressive, it was overshadowed by clashes between the ruling and opposition parties. Midnapore BJP MP Dilip Ghosh, who is contesting from Bardhaman-Durgapur seat this time, came under violent attacks twice. On both the occasions, the blame went to the Trinamul Congress. Mr Ghosh remained unhurt however. In the afternoon, he was visiting Kopibagan at Kalna Gate. TMC workers pelted stones on his motorcade. One of the vehicles, an SUV, was hit. It's windshield was broken. Mr Ghosh said that two central forces jawans, who were in his security cover and were in that vehicle, were injured. TMC never allows people to cast their votes here. So I came here but was attacked. The Election Commission and police are silent, he said. TMC later accused his security personnel of injuring four of its workers. Earlier Mr Ghosh was targeted by TMC supporters at Tuilya village at Monteswar during his visit after a BJP agent was roughed up and driven out of a polling booth. TMC supporters shouted Go Back slogan at Mr Ghoshwho turned furious and got engaged in a tussle with them. Suddenly stone pelting began. Many vehicles were damaged. Mr Ghosh alleged police inaction. The scene was however completely different in the morning. Mr Ghosh and his rival candidate from the TMC Kirti Azad, a former cricketer, were seen greeting each other during a visit to a polling booth. There was reports of clashes and electoral malpractices in Durgapur and Nadia, where two seats went to polls, also. In comparison Berhampore where five time Congress MP Adhir Choudhury fought for his re-election against another former cricketer Yusuf Pathan of TMC, witnessed a peaceful polling. According to Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, it received 1705 complaints.

BJP Veteran Vs Popular Actor In Asansol Seat

In West Bengal the phase 4 of elections will take the total number of seats that have voted to 18 with eight seats going to polls this time in Phase 4. Some of the key seats are Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Bardhaman-Durgapur and Asansol which are seeing heated contests with high profile candidates. Well known faces like Adhir Chowdhury, Yusuf Pathan, Mahua Moitra, Dilip Ghosh, Kirti Azad, SS Ahluwalia and Shatrughan Sinha are in the fray this time. This will also be an election without the imprint of Birbhum strongman Anubrata Mondal in the two seats of Birbhum and Bolpur. Anubrata Mondal who has been arrested in connection with the alleged cattle smuggling case by the CBI in 2022.

Bardhaman Durgapur To Key Battle This Time: Kirti Azad Vs Dilip Ghosh

In West Bengal the phase 4 of elections will take the total number of seats that have voted to 18 with eight seats going to polls this time in Phase 4. Some of the key seats are Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Bardhaman-Durgapur and Asansol which are seeing heated contests with high profile candidates. Well known faces like Adhir Chowdhury, Yusuf Pathan, Mahua Moitra, Dilip Ghosh, Kirti Azad, SS Ahluwalia and Shatrughan Sinha are in the fray this time. This will also be an election without the imprint of Birbhum strongman Anubrata Mondal in the two seats of Birbhum and Bolpur. Anubrata Mondal who has been arrested in connection with the alleged cattle smuggling case by the CBI in 2022.

Pawan Singh: Collection of luxury cars and four flats in Mumbai, know how much is the net worth of Pawan Singh

The excitement of Lok Sabha elections is visible in many states from UP to Bihar and beyond. In this sequence, now independent candidate and Bhojpuri star Pawan Singh has filed his nomination affidavit from the Karakat parliamentary constituency of Bihar. He has contested this seat against NDA candidate former minister Upendra Kushwaha. Earlier, when BJP had given a ticket from Asansol in West Bengal, Singer had refused to contest elections from there. Pawan Singh, who has created his own identity with his Bhojpuri songs and films, does not need any identity today. Pawan Singh, who casts the magic of his voice on people, may not have studied much, but despite this, he is popular in the Bhojpuri world. Talking about his election affidavit, he has told in his affidavit that he passed the 10th class examination from Bihar Cultural Education Board in the year 2004. He has also mentioned his assets in his election affidavit. This much wealth First of all, let's talk about Pawan Singh's total wealth, according to the nomination papers, cine star Pawan Singh is the owner of Rs 11.7 crore. According to the data given by him, he has total movable and immovable assets worth Rs 11 crore 70 lakh 50 thousand. Fond of cars Cine star Pawan Singh is very fond of vehicles. He owns a Toyota Fortuner worth Rs 20 lakh. Apart from this, there is also a Toyota Innova Hycross car worth about 25 lakhs and a Range Rover car worth about 95 lakhs. Pawan Singh has a total of cars worth Rs 1 crore 39 lakh 75 thousand. A scooter is also included in his collection. This much property Talking about his property, there is one flat in the name of Pawan Singh in Lucknow and 4 flats in Mumbai. Whose total price is said to be Rs 5 crore. Apart from this, there is land worth Rs 1 crore in Patna and Arrah. Pawan Singh has 350 grams of gold. He also wears a ring of Pokharaj stone. Also mentioned loan Pawan Singh has also mentioned his debts and loans in his affidavit. He said that he has two loans of Rs 50 lakh each in Mumbai-based ICICI Bank. (PC: Google)

Bengal Witnesses 66% Voter Turnout in Phase 4 of LS Polls

Bengal Witnesses 66% Voter Turnout in Phase 4 of LS Polls A voter turnout of 66.05 per cent was registered in eight Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal till 3 pm on Monday, an Election Commission official said. The Bolpur (SC) Lok Sabha constituency registered the maximum polling of 69.08 per cent followed by Bardhaman-Durgapur (67.92 per cent), he said. Bardhaman-Purba recorded 67.83 per cent of polling while Krishnanagar (66.37 per cent), Ranaghat (SC) (66.18 per cent) Baharampur (65.57 per cent), Birbhum (64.98 per cent), and Asansol (60.26 per cent), he added. The poll panel said it has so far received 1,088 complaints from various political parties alleging EVM malfunctioning and agents being stopped from entering booths. Polling in the eight constituencies started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. A total of 1,45,30,017 voters 73,84,356 men, 71,45,379 women and 282 third-genders are eligible to exercise their franchise in 15,507 polling stations.

Will Asansol pick 'Bihari babu' Shatrughan Sinha or the son of the soil, Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia?

Asansol's political clash features TMC's Sinha against BJP's Ahluwalia. The constituency's diversity and key issues shape the intense competition, with both parties facing internal challenges that could impact the outcome.

Bengal Witnesses 51.87% Voter Turnout Till 1 PM

Bengal Witnesses 51.87% Voter Turnout Till 1 PM A voter turnout of 51.87 per cent was registered in eight Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal till 1 pm on Monday, an Election Commission official said. The Bardhaman Purba (SC) Lok Sabha constituency registered the maximum polling of 55.87 per cent followed by Bolpur (54.81 per cent), he said. Ranaghat (SC) recorded 52.70 per cent of voting while Baharampur recorded 52.27 per cent polling, Bardhaman-Durgapur (50.30 per cent), Krishnanagar (49.72 per cent), Birbhum (49.63 per cent), and Asansol (49.55 per cent), he added. The poll panel said it has so far received 1,088 complaints from different political parties alleging EVM malfunctioning and agents being stopped from entering booths. Polling in the eight constituencies started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. A total of 1,45,30,017 voters including 73,84,356 men, 71,45,379 women and 282 third-genders are eligible to exercise their franchise in 15,507 polling stations.

Bengal Witnesses 32.78% Voter Turnout in Fourth Phase of LS Elections by 10 am

Bengal Witnesses 32.78% Voter Turnout in Fourth Phase of LS Elections by 10 am A voter turnout of 32.78 per cent was registered in eight Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal till 10 am on Monday, an Election Commission official said. The Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency registered maximum polling at 35.53 per cent followed by Bolpur (35.22 per cent), he said. Bardhaman Purba (SC) recorded 33.82 per cent polling, Ranaghat (SC) (33.23 per cent), Krishnanagar (32.59 per cent), Bardhaman-Durgapur (31.41 per cent), Birbhum (30.45 per cent), and Asansol (29.99 per cent), he added. The poll panel said it has so far received 1,088 complaints from different political parties alleging EVM malfunctioning and agents being stopped from entering booths. Polling in the eight constituencies started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. A total of 1,45,30,017 voters 73,84,356 men, 71,45,379 women and 282 third-genders are eligible to exercise their franchise in 15,507 polling stations.

In Asansol there will be clean sweep by BJP: BJP leader Agnimitra Paul

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Every vote can help Narendra Modi win more than 400 seats: BJP candidate from Begusarai Giriraj Singh appeals to voters

Every vote can help Narendra Modi win more than 400 seats: BJP candidate from Begusarai Giriraj Singh appeals to voters Union Minister and BJP candidate from Begusarai Giriraj Singh cast his vote for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections today in Patna, Bihar. Speaking to reporters after casting his vote at a polling booth in Lakhisarai, the BJP leader said, I want to appeal to the voters of Bihar that they must go out and vote. One vote can cause the fall of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and every vote can help Narendra Modi win more than 400 seats. Your one vote will give strength to the poor... Amidst a contentious debate over the issue of Muslim reservation, the Union Minister launched a scathing attack on RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, accusing him of perpetuating the religious divide for political gains. People like Lalu Prasad Yadav would previously speak about backward communities to divide them into castes. Today, by giving reservations to the Muslims, they want to snatch the jobs of other backward Hindu communities, said Giriraj Singh. Polling for the 96 parliamentary constituencies spread over 10 states and Union Territories is underway. Polling for all 175 seats of the State Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh and 28 seats of the State Legislative Assembly of Odisha also started simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. Voting for the first three phases was held on April 19, April 26 and May 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is seeking a third term cast his vote in Gujarat's Gandhinagar in the third phase. Of the 96 Lok Sabha seats, 25 are from Andhra Pradesh, 17 from Telangana, 13 from Uttar Pradesh, 11 from Maharashtra, eight each from Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, five from Bihar, four each from Jharkhand and Odisha, and one from Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 1,717 candidates from 10 States/UTs will contest elections in phase 4 of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission of India said. The fourth phase is witnessing key contests in various constituencies. Leaders such as AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, TMC leader Mahua Moitra, BJP leader Giriraj Singh, JDU's Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), TMC leaders Shatrughan Sinha and Yusuf Pathan.BJP leaders Arjun Munda and Madhavi Latha, and Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief YS Sharmila are also looking for electoral success. Baharampur, Hyderabad, Krishnanagar, Begusarai, Munger, Srinagar, Asansol, Kannauj, Kadapa, and Khunti are some of the prominent Lok Sabha seats where voting is underway. The next round of polling would kick off on May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting and the results will be declared on June 4. (ANI)

Polling begins for eight West Bengal Assembly seats

Polling begins for eight West Bengal Assembly seats Polling for eight Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal began at 7 am on Monday, amid tight security arrangements, an EC official said. Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat (SC), Bardhaman Purba (SC), Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur (SC) and Birbhum seats in the state are going to polls in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Altogether 1.45 crore voters, of whom 71.45 lakh are women and 282 are belonging to the third gender, are eligible to exercise their franchise at 15,507 polling stations spread across several districts in south Bengal. Several heavyweight candidates, including state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Baharampur, and BJP's former state chief Dilip Ghosh from Burdwan-Durgapur, are in the fray. Ex-cricketer Yusuf Pathan is contesting as a TMC candidate in Baharampur, while actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha is the TMCs Asansol nominee. The BJP has fielded Rajmata Amrita Roy in Krishnanagar seat against sitting MP Mahua Moitra of the TMC. The Trinamool Congress has nominated former Indian cricketer Kirti Azad in Burdwan-Durgapur and renominated Satabdi Roy in Birbhum. The poll panel has identified 3,647 polling stations as critical. The maximum of 659 critical polling stations are in Bolpur, while the least number of 301 such booths are in Bardhaman Purba seat. There are 640 critical polling stations in Birbhum seat, while Baharampur has 558, Burdwan-Durgapur 422, Ranaghat 410, Krishnanagar 338, and Asansol 319. A maximum of 152 companies of central forces has been deployed in Bardhaman Purba, 131 in Birbhum, 88 in Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate area, 81 in Krishnanagar, 73 in Murshidabad and 54 in Ranaghat.

Live: Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Phase 4

Representational picture. Representational picture. Voting for the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 96 Parliamentary Constituencies across nine states and one Union Territory began on Monday at 7:00 am. Polling for all 175 seats of the State Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh and 28 seats of the State Legislative Assembly of Odisha also started simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. Of the 96 Lok Sabha seats, 25 are from Andhra Pradesh, 17 from Telangana, 13 from Uttar Pradesh, 11 from Maharashtra, eight each from Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, five from Bihar, four each from Jharkhand and Odisha, and one from Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 1,717 candidates from 10 States/UTs will contest elections in phase 4 of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission of India said. According to the poll body, a total of 4,264 nominations were filed for 96 parliamentary constituencies. The Election Commission further stated that the maximum number of nomination forms were received from Telangana (1488) followed by Andhra Pradesh with 1103 nominations from 25 constituencies. Malkajgiri Parliamentary Constituency in Telangana received a maximum of 177 nomination forms, followed by 13-Nalgonda and 14-Bhongir in the same state with 114 nomination forms in each. The fourth phase is witnessing key contests in various constituencies. Leaders such as AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, TMC leader Mahua Moitra, BJP leader Giriraj Singh, JDU's Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), TMC leaders Shatrughan Sinha and Yusuf Pathan. BJP leaders Arjun Munda and Madhavi Latha, and Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief YS Sharmila are also looking for electoral success. Baharampur, Hyderabad, Krishnanagar, Begusarai, Munger, Srinagar, Asansol, Kannauj, Kadapa, and Khunti are some of the prominent Lok Sabha seats where voting is underway. The Election Commission on Sunday informed that polling time in certain assembly segments of 17 Parliamentary Constituencies of Telangana was increased by the Commission (from 7 am to 6 pm) to increase voters' participation.

Can Shotgun fire make BJP khaamosh in Asansol?

In Asansol, the electoral battle is heating up between 'Bihari babu' Shatrughan Sinha, Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia, and Jahanara Khan. Sinha, the TMC's sitting MP, faces tough competition from Ahluwalia, the experienced politician representing BJP, and Khan from CPI(M). The constituency grapples with various issues like joblessness, water scarcity, and illegal mining.

Live: Lok Sabha Polls Phase 4 | Fate of candidates in 96 seats to be decided

May 13, 2024. Monday. A total of 96 constituencies across 10 states and union territories goes to the polls in the fourth phase of the 82-day long, seven-phase polling. The fate of 283 seats were sealed in the first three phases held on April 19, April 26, and May 7. The voters turnout recorded in the first three phases reads as 66.1%, 66.7%, and 61%, respectively. Phase-IV will witness simultaneous elections for the Andhra Pradesh assembly (175 seats) and the Lok Sabha (25 seats). In Telangana, 17 Lok Sabha seats are up for grabs. Key candidates The key candidates in the fray in Phase IV include Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, TMC's Mahua Moitra, Shatrughan Sinha and Yusuf Pathan, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and YS Sharmila of the Congress. For the BJP, big names include Union ministers G Kishan Reddy, Arjun Munda, Ajay Mishra Teni, Giriraj Singh and Nityanand Rai, along with party leaders Sakshi Maharaj, Dilip Ghosh, Pankaja Munde, Bandi Sanjay, Madhavi Latha, and Daggubati Purandeswari, who will feature on the ballot. Srinagar Srinagar, witnessing the first parliamentary polls since the revocation of Article 370, will see a three-cornered contest between the National Conference's Agha Ruhullah, People's Democratic Party leader Waheed Para and the Altaf Bukhari-led Apni Partys Mohammad Ashraf Mir, who is contesting as an NDA candidate. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4 nationwide. Phase IV Andhra Pradesh: All 25 seats Telangana: All 17 seats Jharkhand: 4 out of 14 seats Odisha: 4 out of 21 seats Uttar Pradesh: 13 out of 80 seats Madhya Pradesh: 8 out of 29 seats Bihar: 5 out of 40 seats Maharashtra: 11 out of 48 seats West Bengal: 8 out of 42 seats Jammu and Kashmir: 1 out of 5 seats Andhra Pradesh: All 175 assembly seats Andhra votes for Lok Sabha, Assembly polls in single phase Phase 4 will see elections being held for the 175-member Andhra Pradesh assembly, along with the 25 Lok Sabha seats from the state. YSRCP president Jagan (Pulivendula), TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu (Kuppam) and Janasena chief and actor Pawan Kalyan (Pithapuram), among others, are in the Assembly poll race. AP Congress president and Jagan's sister YS Sharmila (Kadapa) and BJP state chief Purandeswari (Rajamahendravaram), among others, are in the Lok Sabha poll fray. The YSRCP is contesting in all 175 Assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha segments in the state. As part of a seat-sharing deal among NDA partners, the TDP was allocated 144 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha constituencies, while the BJP will contest from six Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly seats. The Janasena will contest two Lok Sabha and 21 Assembly seats. As many as 454 candidates are in the fray for Lok Sabha and 2,387 for Assembly polls, according to Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer MK Meena. Telangana: All 17 seats in fray after electrifying campaign After a high-decibel campaign, including by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the top leaders of Congress and BRS, the stage is now set for polling on Sunday to elect 17 Lok Sabha members from the state in a single phase. The Election Commission has also made arrangements to conduct a bypoll for the Secunderabad (Cantonment) Assembly seat to be held tomorrow. As many as 625 candidates, including Union Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy, the party's national general secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar and senior leader Etala Rajender are among the saffron party candidates while the Congress fielded among others, BRS turncoats Danam Nagender and K Kavya. AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi is seeking re-election from the party's bastion of Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency and the BJP has fielded a political novice but enthusiastic K Madhavi Latha who has begun a spirited campaign. The former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar and sitting MP Nama Nageswar Rao, among others, are in the poll fray from former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS. Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several union ministers including Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah, and Congress leaders Mallikrajun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy canvassed for their respective party candidates. Over 3.31 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in 35,356 polling stations across the state. Telangana recorded 62 percent voter turnout in the 2019 parliamentary elections. The BRS (then TRS) won nine seats, BJP four, Congress three and AIMIM one seat in the 2019 general elections. Uttar Pradesh: Akhliesh's legacy in play as 13 seats go to polls Voting for the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, covering 13 parliamentary constituencies, will take place on Monday, with all eyes on the prestigious Kannauj seat from which Samajwadi Party president and former MP Akhilesh Yadav is seeking re-election. Another prominent candidate in the fray in this round is Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni, who is contesting from Kheri. Voting will take place in Shahjahanpur (SC), Kheri, Dhaurahra, Sitapur, Hardoi (SC), Misrikh (SC), Unnao, Farrukhabad, Etawah (SC), Kannauj, Kanpur, Akbarpur and Bahraich (SC). A total of 130 candidates are in the poll fray in this phase. Among the 13 poll-bound constituencies, Kannauj will see a contest between the SP chief and sitting BJP MP Subrat Pathak, while in Unnao, incumbent BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj (Swami Sachidanand Hari Sakshi) is pitted against SP's Annu Tandon (a former Lok Sabha MP from Unnao). Of the 13 parliamentary constituencies going to polls in the fourth phase, the BJP has reposed its faith in 11 sitting MPs by giving them tickets, while it has fielded new candidates Ramesh Awasthi from Kanpur and Anand Kumar from the Bahraich-SC seat. In the INDIA bloc, the SP has fielded candidates from 11 Lok Sabha seats in this phase, while on two seats -- Kanpur (Alok Misra) and Sitapur (Rakesh Rathor) -- candidates of the Congress are in the fray. Four BJP candidatesUnion minister Teni (Kheri), Rekha Verma (Dhaurahra), Mukesh Rajput (Farrukhabad) and Devendra Singh alias Bhole (Akbarpur)are eyeing a hat trick, while Rajesh Verma is eyeing a fifth term from Sitapur. Maharashtra: 11 seats in action Maharashtra, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the Lower House of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. In the fourth phase, polling will take place across 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. These Lok Sabha constituencies are Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi, and Beed. In the first phase of voting for the general polls, Ramtek, Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondiya, Gadchiroli-Chimur, and Chandrapur were in the fray. The voter turnout in this phase stood at 63.71 percent. Buldhana, Nanded, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli and Parbhani went to the polls in the second phase. The final polling percentage in this phase was 62.71 percent. In the third phase on May 7, voting took place across 11 constituencies - Raigad, Baramati, Osmanabad, Latur, Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, and Hatkanangle. The voter turnout in this phase stood at 63.55 percent. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 out of 23 seats. Elections to the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. West Bengal: Fate of several star candidates to be decided Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, TMC's Shatrughan Sinha, Mahua Moitra and Yusuf Pathan, BJP's SS Ahluwalia and Dilip Ghosh will be among the candidates whose fates will be decided in the EVMs as eight Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal will go to the polls in the fourth phase on Monday. Spread over Murshidabad, Nadia, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman and Birbhum districts, the problems flagged by voters in these constituencies vary from migrant labour, drinking water supply and drying up of industries, while the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) notification is a bone of contention between the TMC and BJP in some places. Polling will be held in Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat (SC), Bardhaman Purba (SC), Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur (SC) and Birbhum in West Bengal in the fourth round of the Lok Sabha polls. Film star-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha is seeking re-election from Asansol and is pitted against the BJP's veteran leader SS Ahluwalia. In Krishnanagar, the TMC has put up its outspoken leader Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the 17th Lok Sabha last December, against BJP's Amrita Roy, a member of the Krishnanagar royal family. Former Bengali cine celebrity Satabdi Roy is seeking a fourth term from the Birbhum seat, which is now shorn of its maverick TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, lodged in Tihar jail in connection with an alleged cattle smuggling case. Congress' leader in the outgoing Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, fighting for a sixth consecutive term from Baharampur, is set to see his clout tested in the seat considered his fortress for the last three decades, with the TMC having fielded former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan and the BJP's Nirmal Kumar Saha. BJP's former West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh, whose controversial comments on various issues and against TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee have often made headlines, is contesting from Bardhaman-Durgapur, having been shifted by the saffron party from Kharagpur, where he had won in 2019. Trinamool Congress has put up former Indian cricketer Kirti Azad from the seat, while CPI(M) has fielded Sukriti Ghosal. BJP's Jagannath Sarkar is seeking re-election from Ranaghat constituency, which has a significant Matua population. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has been a profound issue of debate here between the saffron party and the TMC. TMC announced the candidature of Mukut Mani Adhikari for the seat soon after he joined the party, leaving the BJP, of which he was an MLA from Ranaghat Dakshin assembly segment. Asit Kumar Mal is seeking re-election from Bolpur on a TMC ticket, having been pitted against Priya Saha of BJP and Shyamali Pradhan of the CPI (M). In Bardhaman Purba, TMC fielded psychiatrist Sharmila Sarkar against BJP's folk singer candidate Ashim Kumar Sarkar, who is the saffron party's MLA from Haringhata Assembly segment, and CPI(M)'s Nirav Kha. Jharkhand: Four reserved seats in fray The stage is set for voting in Jharkhand's four Lok Sabha constituenciesSinghbhum, Khunti, Lohardaga and Palamuon Monday amidst heavy security deployments in all polling booths. Of the four Lok Sabha seats, three are reserved for Schedule Tribe (ST), while Palamu is reserved for Schedule Caste (SC) candidates. Interestingly, the number of female voters is higher than the number of male voters in three tribal seats. More than 64.37 lakh electors, including 32.07 lakh female voters, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the four constituencies in the state, an election official said. A total of 45 candidates, including seven from Khunti, 15 from Lohardaga, nine from Palamu and 14 from Singhbhum, are in the poll fray. An interesting fight is likely in all three tribal seats as the JMM-led ruling alliance and the BJP-led opposition in Jharkhand have put all their efforts into galvanising people's support in their favour. In Singhbhum, BJP's Geeta Kora, who had won the seat on Congress ticket in 2019, has locked horns with INDIA bloc's Joba Manjhi, who is a JMM MLA from Manoharpur assembly seat. Khunti is heading for a direct fight between Union Minister and BJP nominee Arjun Munda and the INDIA bloc's Kalicharan Munda. The Lohardaga seat might see a triangular contest after JMM's Bishunpur MLA Chamra Linda filed nomination as an Independent candidate against BJP's Samri Oraon and INDIA bloc's Sukhdeo Bhagat. The Palamu seat is set for a direct fight between the BJP's sitting MP Vishnu Dayal Ram and RJD's Mamta Bhuiyan as INDIA bloc candidate.

Oppn leaders being targeted by Modi govt: Shatrughan Sinha

Asansol: TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha, who is seeking re-election from Asansol Lok Sabha constituency, on Sunday alleged that opposition leaders are being targeted by the Modi government and are facing persecution from central agencies. Expressing solidarity with Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, who was recently granted interim bail by the Supreme Court Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Shatrughan Sinha Raises Concerns Over Alleged Targeting of Opposition Leaders by Modi Government

Shatrughan Sinha Raises Concerns Over Alleged Targeting of Opposition Leaders by Modi Government TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha, who is seeking re-election from Asansol Lok Sabha constituency, on Sunday alleged that opposition leaders are being targeted by the Modi government and are facing ''persecution'' from central agencies. Expressing solidarity with Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, who was recently granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in connection with an excise policy case, Sinha told PTI Video that Kejriwal ''paid the price'' for his popularity among the people. ''Opposition leaders are being targeted by the Modi government. It is great to hear about Kejriwal's bail. He is paying the price for his popularity,'' Sinha said. Kejriwal was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on May 10 after being arrested on March 21 by the ED in the case. On the issue of electoral bonds, Sinha, who had been a BJP MP from 2009-19 and a former Union minister, said, ''Even the Supreme Court has declared it unconstitutional.'' ''There is a need for transparency in funding of political parties,'' Sinha, who had joined TMC in 2022 and contested the Asansol Lok Sabha by-election successfully that year, advocated. He said comments of Parakala Prabhakar, husband of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, that the electoral bond scheme is the ''biggest scam in the world'' was true. About speculations surrounding potential prime ministerial candidates, Sinha said he believed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has all the qualities to fit the bill. ''Mamata didi's leadership credentials, her proven track record and her grassroots appeal make her the possible PM candidate,'' he asserted. ''I don't think about any other specific qualifications required to become a PM,'' he added. On the Sandeshkhali issue, Sinha said the sting operation has revealed how BJP used money power to fabricate allegations by some women. ''TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has already spoken about the truth of the matter to people... The issue is also in court. However, if any single such case (of atrocity against women) is found to be true, I would strongly condemn that,'' he said. Extending support to the CM's opposition to CAA and NRC, Sinha said, ''If she has given a guarantee that CAA and NRC will not be implemented in Bengal, she means it.'' ''There is no confidence in 'Modi ki guarantee', but people have confidence in 'Didi ki guarantee','' he quipped. On the issues on his plate as the candidate from Asansol, which will go to polls on Monday, he said, ''The condition of coal fields is deteriorating and privatisation of those resulted in large-scale unemployment. The issue of waste management needs to be addressed in a city like Asansol... I have tried my best to do whatever was possible in this two-year term.'' ''Asansol underwent a seismic shift as the government gradually phased out the subterranean operations in favour of open-cast mines managed by contractors. This transition, while promising economic progress, has exacted a heavy toll on the local populace,'' he said. On land subsidence issue in the coal belt area, he said, ''The unbridled extraction of resources has led to the sinking of land.'' Pledging to prioritise the resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced families, Sinha said, ''The families whose land sank and whose homes were damaged never met me, but I am well-versed about their issue.'' The actor-turned-politician, fondly referred to as 'Bihari Babu' by lakhs of his fans, said he would effectively utilise the MPLAD funds and ensure transparency through comprehensive reporting mechanisms. ''I have properly utilised the MP Development Fund during my tenure and made a comprehensive report on it, which was released to the media,'' he added.

Fate of several star candidates to be decided in fourth phase LS polls in Bengal

KOLKATA: Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, TMC's Shatrughan Sinha, Mahua Moitra and Yusuf Pathan, BJP's S S Ahluwalia and Dilip Ghosh will be among the candidates whose fates will be decided in the EVMs as eight Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal will go to the polls in the fourth phase on Monday. Spread over Murshidabad, Nadia, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman and Birbhum districts, the problems flagged by voters in these constituencies vary from migrant labour, drinking water supply and drying up of industries, while the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) notification is a bone of contention between the TMC and BJP in some places. Polling will be held in Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat (SC), Bardhaman Purba (SC), Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur (SC) and Birbhum in West Bengal in the fourth round of the Lok Sabha polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee held several public meetings and roadshows in support of their party candidates in these seats. TMC goons threatening women in Sandeshkhali to protect culprits, claims PM Modi in Bengal poll rally A total of 1,45,30,017 voters, including 71,45,379 women and 282 third-gender electors, are eligible to exercise their franchise in 15,507 polling stations for the eight constituencies, an official said. The EC has identified 3,647 polling stations as critical across the eight constituencies, where a total of 75 candidates are contesting, the official said. A total of 152 companies of central forces would be deployed in Bardhaman Purba district, followed by Birbhum (131), Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate (88), Krishnanagar Police District (81), Murshidabad Police District (73) and Ranaghat Police District (54), he said. Several star candidates are contesting in these eight constituencies which go to polls on Monday in the fourth phase. Film star-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha is seeking to get re-election from Asansol, pitted against BJP's veteran leader S S Ahluwalia. In Krishnanagar, the TMC has put up its outspoken leader Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the 17th Lok Sabha last December, against BJP's Amrita Roy , a member of the Krishnanagar royal family. 'Victory will be fitting reply to expulsion from LS', says confident Mahua Moitra Former Bengali cine celebrity Satabdi Roy is seeking a fourth term from Birbhum seat, which is now shorn of its maverick TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, lodged in Tihar jail in connection with an alleged cattle smuggling case. Congress' leader in the outgoing Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, fighting for a sixth consecutive term from Baharampur, is set to see his clout tested in the seat considered his fortress for the last three decades, with the TMC having fielded former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan and the BJP's Nirmal Kumar Saha. BJP's former West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh, whose controversial comments on various issues and against TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee have often made headlines, is contesting from Bardhaman-Durgapur, having been shifted by the saffron party from Kharagpur, where he had won in 2019. 'Surgical strikes' by central agencies must to curb anti-national activities in Bengal: Dilip Ghosh Trinamool Congress has put up former Indian cricketer Kirti Azad from the seat, while CPI(M) has fielded Sukriti Ghosal. BJP's Jagannath Sarkar is seeking a re-election from Ranaghat constituency, which has a significant Matua population. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has been a profound issue of debate here between the saffron party and the TMC. Bengal: Bongaon LS seat all set to offer litmus test to BJP post CAA rules notification TMC announced the candidature of Mukut Mani Adhikari from the seat soon after he joined the party leaving the BJP, of which he was an MLA from Ranaghat Dakshin assembly segment. Asit Kumar Mal is seeking re-election from Bolpur on a TMC ticket, having been pitted against Priya Saha of BJP and Shyamali Pradhan of CPI(M). In Bardhaman Purba, TMC fielded psychiatrist Sharmila Sarkar against BJP's folk singer candidate Ashim Kumar Sarkar, who is the saffron party's MLA from Haringhata Assembly segment, and CPI(M)'s Nirav Kha. Yusuf Pathan and Kirti Azad: Two cricketers from TMC seemingly on sticky wicket

Fate of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Dilip Ghosh, Mahua Moitra to be decided in fourth phase LS polls in Bengal

Polling will be held in Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat (SC), Bardhaman Purba (SC), Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur (SC) and Birbhum in West Bengal in the fourth round of the Lok Sabha polls. A total of 1,45,30,017 voters, including 71,45,379 women and 282 third-gender electors, are eligible to exercise their franchise in 15,507 polling stations for the eight constituencies, an official said.

Fate of eight star candidates including two Union Ministers and five former MPs in fray in Bengal's phase 4 LS polls

Fate of eight star candidates including two Union Ministers and five former MPs in fray in Bengal's phase 4 LS polls Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, TMC's Shatrughan Sinha, Mahua Moitra and Yusuf Pathan, BJP's S S Ahluwalia and Dilip Ghosh will be among the candidates whose fates will be decided in the EVMs as eight Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal will go to the polls in the fourth phase on Monday. Spread over Murshidabad, Nadia, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman and Birbhum districts, the problems flagged by voters in these constituencies vary from migrant labour, drinking water supply and drying up of industries, while the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) notification is a bone of contention between the TMC and BJP in some places. Polling will be held in Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat (SC), Bardhaman Purba (SC), Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur (SC) and Birbhum in West Bengal in the fourth round of the Lok Sabha polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee held several public meetings and roadshows in support of their party candidates in these seats. A total of 1,45,30,017 voters, including 71,45,379 women and 282 third-gender electors, are eligible to exercise their franchise in 15,507 polling stations for the eight constituencies, an official said. The EC has identified 3,647 polling stations as ''critical'' across the eight constituencies, where a total of 75 candidates are contesting, the official said. A total of 152 companies of central forces would be deployed in Bardhaman Purba district, followed by Birbhum (131), Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate (88), Krishnanagar Police District (81), Murshidabad Police District (73) and Ranaghat Police District (54), he said. Several star candidates are contesting in these eight constituencies which go to polls on Monday in the fourth phase. Film star-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha is seeking to get re-election from Asansol, pitted against BJP's veteran leader S S Ahluwalia. In Krishnanagar, the TMC has put up its outspoken leader Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the 17th Lok Sabha last December, against BJP's Amrita Roy, a member of the Krishnanagar royal family. Former Bengali cine celebrity Satabdi Roy is seeking a fourth term from Birbhum seat, which is now shorn of its maverick TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, lodged in Tihar jail in connection with an alleged cattle smuggling case. Congress' leader in the outgoing Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, fighting for a sixth consecutive term from Baharampur, is set to see his clout tested in the seat considered his fortress for the last three decades, with the TMC having fielded former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan and the BJP's Nirmal Kumar Saha. BJP's former West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh, whose controversial comments on various issues and against TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee have often made headlines, is contesting from Bardhaman-Durgapur, having been shifted by the saffron party from Kharagpur, where he had won in 2019. Trinamool Congress has put up former Indian cricketer Kirti Azad from the seat, while CPI(M) has fielded Sukriti Ghosal. BJP's Jagannath Sarkar is seeking a re-election from Ranaghat constituency, which has a significant Matua population. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has been a profound issue of debate here between the saffron party and the TMC. TMC announced the candidature of Mukut Mani Adhikari from the seat soon after he joined the party leaving the BJP, of which he was an MLA from Ranaghat Dakshin assembly segment. Asit Kumar Mal is seeking re-election from Bolpur on a TMC ticket, having been pitted against Priya Saha of BJP and Shyamali Pradhan of CPI(M). In Bardhaman Purba, TMC fielded psychiatrist Sharmila Sarkar against BJP's folk singer candidate Ashim Kumar Sarkar, who is the saffron party's MLA from Haringhata Assembly segment, and CPI(M)'s Nirav Kha.

Lok Sabha election 2024 full schedule: Asansol to vote in phase 4 on May 13

Nobody can stop CAA implementation: PM Modi gives five guarantees to Bengal

North 24 Parganas (West Bengal): Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Trinamool Congress and said that infiltrators are flourishing under the Mamata Banerjee rule and guaranteed to the people of West Bengal that nobody can stop the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the state. Addressing a rally in Barrackpur, PM Modi gave five guarantees to the people of West Bengal. I want to give five guarantees to the people of Bengal: - Nobody can give reservations based on religion. Reservations for SC, ST, and OBC will not be touched. Nobody can stop you from celebrating Ram Navami. The judgement of the Supreme Court on Ram Mandir will not be quashed. Nobody can stop the implementation of CAA, PM Modi said. The Prime Minister's remarks on the Ram Mandir verdict came days after former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had vowed to overturn the Supreme Court's Ram Mandir verdict if Congress forms the government at the Centre. PM Modi slammed the Opposition and said that they had made the CAA a villain adding that the CAA is to provide citizenship. Vote bank politics has presented a law like CAA, which protects humanity, But opposition made it a villain. CAA is a law to give citizenship to the victims, it does not take away anyone's citizenship. But parties like Congress-TMC painted it with the colour of their lies, he said. The Prime Minister alleged that the infiltrators are flourishing under the protection of TMC in the state. There was a time when many scientific discoveries were taking place in Bengal, today under the rule of TMC, the home industry of making bombs is running in many places. There was a time when Bengal used to revolt against the infiltrators, but today the infiltrators are flourishing here under the protection of TMC, he said. He further hit out at the West Bengal government over the law and order in the state on several religious occasions when violent incidents have been reported, and said that it has become difficult for a common man to follow his faith in Bengal. PM Modi continued his attack on the state government and highlighted the Sandeshkhali incident saying that goons of TMC are threatening the women of Sandeshkhali. Goons of TMC are threatening the women of Sandeshkhali only because the culprit's name is Shahjahan Sheikh. They are trying their best to save and protect him from legal action. Don't be afraid of TMC. You must give your full mandate to our candidate; each vote will reach me. Viksit Bengal is crucial for Viksit Bharat, he said. Mentioning the West Bengal teacher's recruitment case, PM Modi said that the money that TMC extorted from the people would be lawfully given back to the people. Modi will not let the corrupt leaders sit peacefully. They will be reprimanded! No corrupt leader will be spared. The money that TMC extorted from you will be lawfully given back to you, he said. Voting will take place for eight Lok Sabha seats of West Bengal in the fourth phase of voting to be held on May 13. The constituencies are Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bardhaman Purba, Burdwan-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur and Birbhum. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC won 34 seats in the state, while the BJP had to settle for 2 seats. The CPI (M) won 2 seats, while the Congress bagged 4. However, the BJP came up with a much-improved showing in the 2019 polls, winning 18 seats against the TMC's 22. The Congress's tally dropped to just 2 seats, while the Left scored a blank.

PM Modi Accuses TMC of Turning Hindus into Second-Class Citizens in West Bengal

Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Barrackpur, accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of relegating Hindus to second-class citizens in West Bengal during its regime.PM Modi expressed confidence in the BJP's increasing mandate in Bengal, stating, The enthusiastic faces of the people tell me that the BJP is going to receive an even higher mandate than it did in 2019. Bengal is saying, 'Phir Ek Baar, Modi Sarkar!' He criticized the TMC, alleging that it had turned bomb-making into a cottage industry in Bengal. PM Modi highlighted the challenges faced by the common man in practicing their faith in Bengal, citing instances where TMC threatened people for chanting the name of Lord Ram and hindered the celebration of Ram Navami. He also accused the Congress and Left of standing against the construction of the Ram Mandir.Regarding the INDI Alliance, PM Modi accused them of appeasement politics and engaging in 'Vote Jihad' against the BJP. He referenced a statement by a TMC leader who allegedly threatened to throw Hindus into the Bhagirathi River, questioning who supported such actions. PM Modi emphasized that under the TMC regime, Hindus had become second-class citizens in Bengal.Earlier, TMC MLA Humayun Kabir made controversial remarks during an election rally in Murshidabad, stating that Hindus would be drowned in the Bhagirathi River within two hours, or else he would leave politics. PM Modi blamed the Congress for neglecting the development of eastern Indian states during its decades-long governance. He highlighted the potential for economic growth in states like West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha, asserting that the Congress did little to harness their capabilities. He pledged to make East India the growth engine of Viksit Bharat, stating, Today, we are creating a network of roadways, railways, and waterways in the eastern states of India... Dedicated freight corridors have amplified industrialization in this area. The upcoming years will be dedicated to furthering the development of West Bengal and the surrounding states.PM Modi also conducted a roadshow in Barrackpore, West Bengal, before his rally. In the upcoming fourth phase of voting on May 13, eight Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal will go to the polls. These constituencies are Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bardhaman Purba, Burdwan-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur, and Birbhum.In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC won 34 seats in the state, while the BJP secured 2 seats. The CPI (M) won 2 seats, and the Congress bagged 4.However, in the 2019 polls, the BJP significantly improved its performance, winning 18 seats against the TMC's 22. The Congress's tally dropped to just 2 seats, while the Left failed to secure any. CM Mohan Yadav Slams Congress for Encouraging NOTA Votes, Calls it an Insult to Democracy Protests Erupt in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) Over Economic Hardships Bomb Blast Rocks Residence of BJP Panchayat Pradhan in West Bengal

Ph 4 campaign for 96 seats in 10 states ends amid heatwave conditions

Among the notable contestants in this round are Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav (Kannauj), NCPs Omar Abdullah (Srinagar), Union ministers Giriraj Singh (Begusarai) and Nityanand Rai (Ujiarpur), Congresss Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Baharampur), Trinamools Mahua Moitra (Krishnanagar) and Shatrughnan Sinha (Asansol), AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi (Hyderabad), and AP CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddys younger sister YS Sharmila of Congress (Kadapa).

Polling ends for fourth phase of LS elections in West Bengal

Polling ends for fourth phase of LS elections in West Bengal Campaigning for eight Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal going to polls in the fourth phase on May 13 came to an end on Saturday, an official said. Polling will take place in Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat (SC), Bardhaman Purba (SC), Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur (SC) and Birbhum in the fourth round of the Lok Sabha polls. A total of 1,45,30,017 voters, including 71,45,379 women and 282 third-gender electors, are eligible to exercise their franchise in 15,507 polling stations, he said. Out of the 75 candidates contesting in the fourth phase, Baharampur has the highest number of 15 nominees, followed by Birbhum (12), Krishnanagar (11), eight each in Bolpur (SC) and BardhamanDurgapur constituencies, he said. There are seven candidates each in the constituencies of Bardhaman Purba (SC), Ranaghat (SC) and Asansol, the official said. Heavyweight politicians, including Congress West Bengal president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Baharampur), BJP's former state chief Dilip Ghosh (Burdwan-Durgapur), former cricketer Yusuf Pathan (Baharampur) and actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha (Asansol), are in the fray in this phase. The BJP has fielded Rajmata Amrita Roy from the Krishnanagar seat against TMCs Mahua Moitra. The TMC has nominated former India cricketer Kirti Azad from Burdwan-Durgapur and renominated Satabdi Roy in Birbhum. The Election Commission has identified 3,647 polling stations as critical, the official said. A total of 152 companies of central forces would be deployed in Bardhaman Purba district, followed by Birbhum (131), Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate (88), Krishnanagar Police District (81), Murshidabad Police District (73) and Ranaghat Police District (54), he said. Star campaigners like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, and her nephew and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, took part in rallies and roadshows in support of their party candidates.

Bihari Babu turns Bangali Babu in coal belt, banks on 'spotless' image

Shatrughan Sinha, confident in Mamata Banerjee's leadership, campaigns in Asansol with a unique style, emphasizing his spotless image and transparency in financial matters, while criticizing opponents for lack of integrity.

Shatrughan Sinha to take on BJP`s S Ahluwalia fin West Bengal`s Asansol

Polling for the remaining parliamentary seats will be held on May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4

Shatrughan Sinha To Take On BJPs S Ahluwalia From West Bengals Asansol Constituency

The Bihari Babu of the Indian film industry, ShatrughanSinhajoined TMC in 2022 after a brief stint in the Congress

Pawan Singh files papers from Karakat as Independent candidate

A day after the BJP nominated its candidate from Asansol in West Bengal, he withdrew from the Lok Sabha polls; Karakat seat will now see triangular fight with former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha and CPI(ML)s Rajaram Singh in the fray

Bhojpuri singer-actor Pawan Singh announces independent candidacy in Bihar's Karakat, BJP remains silent

Bhojpuri singer-actor Pawan Singh announces independent candidacy in Bihar's Karakat, BJP remains silent Bhojpuri singer and actor Pawan Singh, who had earlier refused BJPs offer to contest the Lok Sabha election as the partys nominee in West Bengal, on Thursday filed his nomination papers as an independent in his home state Bihar. Singh filed his papers from Karakat Lok Sabha seat, where former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha of Rashtriya Lok Morcha is likely to be fielded as the NDA nominee. Previously nominated by the saffron party from Asansol in West Bengal, Singh withdrew amidst controversy over some of his songs that disparaged women. BJP sources refrained from commenting on the singer-turned-politician's decision to contest independently, although he was believed to have lobbied with opposition parties like the RJD for a ticket. Despite repeated attempts by PTI, Bihar BJP president and state Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary was not available for comments over Singh's decision to contest the polls against the NDA. Singh's move to contest against the NDA nominee in Karakat has drawn criticism from some BJP leaders, including Union Minister R K Singh, seeking re-election from neighboring Arrah Lok Sabha seat. R K Singh emphasised the importance of party loyalty, stating that contesting against the NDA nominee undermines the alliance led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With Singh now an independent candidate, Karakat is poised for a three-way contest. While Kushwaha is likely to file his nomination papers as the NDA candidate soon, CPI(M-L) Liberation's Rajaram Singh has already submitted his papers as the Mahagathbandhan nominee. Karakat will go to polls on June 1.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 | SS Ahluwalia Contesting As BJP Candidate For Bengal's Asansol | N18V

Lok Sabha Election 2024 | SS Ahluwalia Contesting As BJP Candidate For Bengal's Asansol | N18V Former Union Minister Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia on Wednesday filed his nomination as the BJP candidate for West Bengal's Asansol Lok Sabha constituency.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Shotgun for the front seat!

Bollywood and political veteran, Shatrughan Sinha, on reclaiming Bengals Asansol that he delivered, for the first time ever for TMC, in 2022 by-poll

Krishnanagar Candidate of BJP, Richest Candidate in 4th Phase Bengal Elections

Krishnanagar Candidate of BJP, Richest Candidate in 4th Phase Bengal Elections Twenty-one candidates fighting the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal's eight constituencies, which are going to the polls in the fourth phase, have assets of more than Rs 1 crore, and among them, BJP's Krishnanagar nominee Amitra Roy is the richest, according to a report. A total of 75 candidates are in the fray in these eight seats, and Roy is the richest among them with total assets worth Rs 554 crore, an analysis of their affidavits by West Bengal Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) revealed. Roy is followed by TMC's Asansol candidate Shatrughan Sinha who has assets worth Rs 210 crore and Baharampur candidate Yusuf Pathan whose total assets are valued at Rs 45 crore. TMC's seven candidates have assets worth over Rs 1 crore, followed by BJP whose six candidates found a place on the list. Two candidates each of SUCI(C), Congress and CPI(M) also have assets worth over Rs 1 crore. One candidate each of BSP and Indian National Socialist Action Forces also found a place on the list, it said Independent candidate in Ranaghat Jagannath Sarkar has assets of Rs 3,587, the lowest for any nominee in this phase. Also, there are 13 candidates with criminal cases, it said. Polling in Asansol, Baharampur, Bardhaman Purba, Birbhum, Bolpur, Bardhaman-Durgapur, Krishnanagar and Ranaghat will be held on May 13.

In West Bengal's Asansol, it's TMC's 'Bihari Babu' vs BJP's 'Sardarji'

The Asansol Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal, known for its mining and industrial belt, faces key issues like reopening closed factories, tackling drinking water scarcity in rural areas, and curbing illegal mining in abandoned collieries. The region, with a significant Hindi-speaking population, will see a contest between TMC's Shatrughan Sinha, BJP's Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia, and CPI(M)'s Jahanara Khan. Sinha, confident of retaining the seat, highlights his commitment to the constituency. Khan criticizes the lack of action by previous MPs on local issues.

In Bengal's Asansol, It's Trinamool's 'Bihari Babu' vs BJP's 'Sardarji'

Reopening factories closed for years, addressing drinking water scarcity in rural pockets and reining in the illegal mining menace in abandoned collieries are the primary issues for the people of Asansol Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal.

It's TMC's 'Bihari Babu' vs BJP's 'Sardarji' in West Bengal's Asansol

ASANOL: Reopening factories closed for years, addressing drinking water scarcity in rural pockets and reining in the illegal mining menace in abandoned collieries are the primary issues for the people of Asansol Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal. The region cradles the mining and industrial belt of the state, with Raniganj, Pandaveswar and Jamuria assembly segments housing coal mines and Kulti serving as the home to some of the bigger factories. Asansol, which borders Jharkhand, has a significant percentage of the Hindi-speaking population, mostly migrant workers from Bihar and UP employed in the mines and factories. While the TMC has repeated Bollywood superstar Shatrughan Sinha aka 'Bihari Babu' as its candidate for this seat, the BJP settled for its veteran leader Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia who was born and raised in the city. The CPI(M) has fielded Jahanara Khan, a debutant in Lok Sabha polls, in the seat that is also home to a fair number of tribals. Sinha won the 2022 by-elections here by over 3 lakh votes after BJP MP Babul Supriyo vacated the seat, which he secured in 2014 and 2019, and switched over to the TMC. Sinha expressed confidence about retaining the seat by a greater margin this time. I will win more support from people in the constituency this election, he told PTI. Left nominee Khan, a two-time MLA from Jamuria, alleged that neither Sinha nor Supriyo had done much to alleviate the problems of the locals. The poorer tribals and minorities in the rural areas are suffering from tremendous drinking water scarcity, but little has been done so far to solve that crisis, she said. Alleging that illegal mining from the abandoned collieries in the region is rampant, she said the menace must be stopped to prevent land subsidence and mudslides which claim lives almost every year. Acknowledging the rural water crisis, TMC's Pandaveswar MLA Narendranath Chakraborty said water level depletes in the summer months in the mine region which, he maintained, was a atural occurrence. We are working towards providing water connection to homes, and reservoirs are being built in every block, he said, adding that water gets supplied through tankers in many places as a stop-gap measure. Sambhu Majhi, a resident of Kulti, said that he wanted factories, which have been closed for years over issues ranging from militant trade unionism to lack of timely modernisation, reopened. If the factories are back in operation, our children will not have to migrate in search of livelihood, he said. Several well-known factories like those of Sen-Raleigh and Asansol Glass have downed their shutters over the years. According to Ajay Ghosh of Dishergarh, illegal sand mining from Damodar is also on the rise and needs to be stopped. The BJP took a while to officially name Ahluwalia, fondly called 'Sardarji' by many, for the Asansol seat after Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh stepped aside from the contest. In the 2019 elections, Ahluwalia won the neighbouring Bardhaman-Durgapur seat, where the BJP has fielded its former state president Dilip Ghosh this time. Ahluwalia, also a former Rajya Sabha MP, had won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in northern West Bengal in 2014. He won the 2019 elections by a slender margin of 18,540 votes and managed to deliver for his party only one out of the seven assembly seats in Bardhaman-Durgapur during the 2021 state polls. Ahluwalia faces the litmus test of obfuscating TMC's gains in Asansol, where five out of seven assembly segments went to the Mamata Banerjee-led party in 2021. During a recent election rally in Kulti, Banerjee took a dig at Ahluwalia and accused him of playing the vanishing act from Bardhaman-Durgapur during the last five years. He could manage to get a ticket for this seat after putting in much effort, the TMC supremo claimed. Local BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari claimed that having an experienced campaigner like Ahluwalia in Asansol has boosted the morale of his party's workers to reclaim the seat. Brushing aside the TMC allegation of Ahluwalia's absenteeism, Tiwari asked, That way, how many times did we see Shatrughan Sinha in Asansol in the last two years? A two-term BJP MP from Patna Sahib, Sinha had joined the Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and switched over to the TMC in 2022. Among his many films, Sinha had co-starred with Amitabh Bachchan in 'Kaala Patthar', a 1979 Bollywood hit based on the Chasnala coal mine tragedy in neighbouring Dhanbad. Calling Sinha an acting legend, the Pandaveswar MLA said the star of yesteryears still commands a crazy fan following. As an MP, he worked for Asansol and MPLAD funds were properly utilised for the welfare of people, he said. Confident about a formidable margin, Chakraborty said the leader meant business when it came to development and maintained a polite demeanor with people. Local CPI(M) leader Partha Mukherjee claimed that people would vote against the ideological bankruptcy of TMC and BJP. All anti-TMC and anti-BJP forces will come together to defeat them and we are sure that Jahanara Khan will win Asansol, he said. Asansol goes to polls in the fourth phase on May 13.

Asansol Lok Sabha Bypoll: 'Bihari Babu' of TMC and 'Sardarji' of BJP Face Off

Asansol Lok Sabha Bypoll: 'Bihari Babu' of TMC and 'Sardarji' of BJP Face Off Reopening factories closed for years, addressing drinking water scarcity in rural pockets and reining in the illegal mining menace in abandoned collieries are the primary issues for the people of Asansol Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal. The region cradles the mining and industrial belt of the state, with Raniganj, Pandaveswar and Jamuria assembly segments housing coal mines and Kulti serving as the home to some of the bigger factories. Asansol, which borders Jharkhand, has a significant percentage of the Hindi-speaking population, mostly migrant workers from Bihar and UP employed in the mines and factories. While the TMC has repeated Bollywood superstar Shatrughan Sinha aka 'Bihari Babu' as its candidate for this seat, the BJP settled for its veteran leader Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia who was born and raised in the city. The CPI(M) has fielded Jahanara Khan, a debutant in Lok Sabha polls, in the seat that is also home to a fair number of tribals. Sinha won the 2022 by-elections here by over 3 lakh votes after BJP MP Babul Supriyo vacated the seat, which he secured in 2014 and 2019, and switched over to the TMC. Sinha expressed confidence about retaining the seat by a greater margin this time. ''I will win more support from people in the constituency this election,'' he told PTI. Left nominee Khan, a two-time MLA from Jamuria, alleged that neither Sinha nor Supriyo had done much to alleviate the problems of the locals. ''The poorer tribals and minorities in the rural areas are suffering from tremendous drinking water scarcity, but little has been done so far to solve that crisis,'' she said. Alleging that illegal mining from the abandoned collieries in the region is rampant, she said the menace must be stopped to prevent land subsidence and mudslides which claim lives almost every year. Acknowledging the rural water crisis, TMC's Pandaveswar MLA Narendranath Chakraborty said water level depletes in the summer months in the mine region which, he maintained, was a ''natural occurrence''. ''We are working towards providing water connection to homes, and reservoirs are being built in every block,'' he said, adding that water gets supplied through tankers in many places as a stop-gap measure. Sambhu Majhi, a resident of Kulti, said that he wanted factories, which have been closed for years over issues ranging from ''militant trade unionism'' to lack of timely modernisation, reopened. ''If the factories are back in operation, our children will not have to migrate in search of livelihood,'' he said. Several well-known factories like those of Sen-Raleigh and Asansol Glass have downed their shutters over the years. According to Ajay Ghosh of Dishergarh, illegal sand mining from Damodar is also on the rise and needs to be stopped. The BJP took a while to officially name Ahluwalia, fondly called 'Sardarji' by many, for the Asansol seat after Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh stepped aside from the contest. In the 2019 elections, Ahluwalia won the neighbouring Bardhaman-Durgapur seat, where the BJP has fielded its former state president Dilip Ghosh this time. Ahluwalia, also a former Rajya Sabha MP, had won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in northern West Bengal in 2014. He won the 2019 elections by a slender margin of 18,540 votes and managed to deliver for his party only one out of the seven assembly seats in Bardhaman-Durgapur during the 2021 state polls. Ahluwalia faces the litmus test of obfuscating TMC's gains in Asansol, where five out of seven assembly segments went to the Mamata Banerjee-led party in 2021. During a recent election rally in Kulti, Banerjee took a dig at Ahluwalia and accused him of playing the vanishing act from Bardhaman-Durgapur during the last five years. ''He could manage to get a ticket for this seat after putting in much effort,'' the TMC supremo claimed. Local BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari claimed that having an experienced campaigner like Ahluwalia in Asansol has boosted the morale of his party's workers to reclaim the seat. Brushing aside the TMC allegation of Ahluwalia's absenteeism, Tiwari asked, ''That way, how many times did we see Shatrughan Sinha in Asansol in the last two years?'' A two-term BJP MP from Patna Sahib, Sinha had joined the Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and switched over to the TMC in 2022. Among his many films, Sinha had co-starred with Amitabh Bachchan in 'Kaala Patthar', a 1979 Bollywood hit based on the Chasnala coal mine tragedy in neighbouring Dhanbad. Calling Sinha an ''acting legend'', the Pandaveswar MLA said the star of yesteryears still commands a crazy fan following. ''As an MP, he worked for Asansol and MPLAD funds were properly utilised for the welfare of people,'' he said. Confident about a formidable margin, Chakraborty said the leader meant business when it came to development and maintained a polite demeanor with people. Local CPI(M) leader Partha Mukherjee claimed that people would vote against the ''ideological bankruptcy of TMC and BJP''. ''All anti-TMC and anti-BJP forces will come together to defeat them and we are sure that Jahanara Khan will win Asansol,'' he said. Asansol goes to polls in the fourth phase on May 13.

Heatwave to Persist in South Bengal Until May 5: Meteorological Department Warns

Heatwave to Persist in South Bengal Until May 5: Meteorological Department Warns The Met department on Wednesday said heatwave conditions are very likely to continue till May 5 over south Bengal, which has been reeling under a scorching sun with Kalaikunda recording the state's highest temperature at 45.2 degrees Celsius. The weather office, however, held out a ray of hope for the situation to change from May 6 with the possibility of rains in the coastal districts, which will spread to other parts of Gangetic West Bengal gradually. Heatwave conditions will continue in many places of south Bengal till May 5, with severe heatwave very likely in Bankura, Birbhum, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman districts, the Met department said. It said that there will not be any large change in maximum temperature during the next two days and thereby it will fall gradually in the subsequent three days in the region. The severe weather conditions in the southern and western districts of West Bengal are being caused by dry westerly winds and strong solar insolation, the Met said. Kalaikunda in Paschim Medinipur district recorded West Bengal's highest temperature on Wednesday at 45.2 degrees Celsius, while Jhargram followed closely at 44.5 degrees Celsius, the Met said. In Panagarh and Purulia, the mercury touched the 44.1 degrees mark. Kolkata recorded 42 degrees Celsius as its highest temperature on the day while neighbouring Salt Lake was a little cooler at 41.1 degrees, the Met said. Among the other places which recorded above-40-degree Celsius temperatures are Medinipur (43.4), Bankura (43.3), Krishnanagar (42.2), Bardhaman (42), Asansol (42.3), and Sriniketan (41.8), the Met data said.

Villagers forced to drink filtered sewage water: BJP Asansol candidate SS Ahluwalia

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Southern Bengal to Endure Heatwave Until Sunday, Followed by Rainfall

Southern Bengal to Endure Heatwave Until Sunday, Followed by Rainfall The Met department on Monday forecast hopes of cooler climes a week ahead with the possibility of rain owing to the possibility of moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal, providing a respite from the protracted heatwave conditions prevailing in south Bengal. Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are very likely to continue in the south Bengal districts for at least five more days, the Met office said. People are likely to get respite from the prevailing heatwave conditions in the region from May 5 with the possibility of rain in the coastal districts owing to the incursion of moisture from the Bay of Bengal, an IMD official said. The rain will gradually spread to several of the perched southern districts of the state and continue for at least a few days, he said. The severe weather conditions in the southern and western districts of West Bengal, caused by dry westerly winds, and strong solar insolation, have caused the state government to advance the summer holidays in schools run or aided by it, while many private educational institutions have either switched to online classes or changed their timings. The Met office said that severe heatwave conditions will prevail in Bankura, Birbhum, Jhargram, Murshidabad, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Bardhaman and Paschim Bardhaman while the other districts in south Bengal will experience heatwave conditions till May 3. Panagarh in Paschim Bardhaman district recorded the state's highest day temperature at 44.8 degrees Celsius on Monday, 9.2 notches above normal, the Met said. Kolkata recorded the day's highest temperature at 41.7 deg C, while the mercury hit the 41.6 mark in neighbouring Salt Lake, both six degrees above normal, it said. The other places which recorded temperatures above 40 deg C are Medinipur (44.5), Bankura (44.2), Bardhaman (42), Asansol (43.5), Purulia (42.3), Jhargram (42), Barrackpore (42.6) and Sriniketan (42.6), the Met data said.

Mamata Banerjee falls while trying to board a chopper in Durgapur

KOLKATA : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost her balance and fell while attempting to board a chopper in Durgapur, West Burdwan district, on Saturday. CM Banerjee slipped and fell while trying to take a seat on her helicopter. Her security personnel at the scene assisted her to her seat. The Trinamool chief reportedly suffered a minor injury, but was still able to proceed with her journey to Asansol. Mamata Banerjee was en route to Kulti for an election rally when the incident occurred. The CM fell inside the helicopter after losing her balance while trying to sit. She is fine, a senior officer accompanying Banerjee said. Following the incident, she flew to Kulti and addressed the rally in support of TMCs Asansol candidate and veteran Bollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha. Just about a month ago, on March 14, Banerjee, 69, had sustained serious injuries to her forehead after falling at her home in Kalighat, Kolkata. Banerjee has suffered injuried quite often. Ealier in March, the chief minister was injured when she had a gash on her forehead. She had also suffered a leg injury in Spain in the year 2023. Flew to Kulti Mamata Banerjee flew to Kulti and addressed the rally in support of TMCs Asansol candidate and veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee injured boarding helicopter in Durgapur

The West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee reportedly stumbled on board of her chopper while on her way to a campaign in Kulti on Saturday afternoon from Durgapur. The nature of her injury is not known yet. However, the injury was minor and she went to her scheduled rallies in Kulti and Asansol.

No evidence of arms seizure in Sandeshkhali, recovered items might be brought by CBI: Mamata

USHAGRAM: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said there was o evidence of arms seizure in Sandeshkhali, asserting that CBI teams conducted searches without informing the state police. She expressed scepticism regarding the operations, stating that the recovered items might have been brought by officials of the central agency. If a firecracker goes off in Bengal, the NIA, CBI, NSG are coming to investigate. It seems that a war is going on. The state police were not informed. It is not known what was found. There was no evidence. The seized items might have been brought by them (CBI) in a car, Banerjee said here. Small arms including foreign-made pistols seized by CBI in raids in Sandeshkhali She was addressing an election rally for TMC's Asansol Lok Sabha candidate Shatrughan Sinha. The CBI on Friday seized arms and ammunition, including a police service revolver and foreign-made firearms, during searches at two premises of an associate of now-suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali, officials said. The searches were conducted in connection with the January attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team by a mob that was allegedly instigated by Sheikh, who was arrested by the West Bengal Police on February 29 in the case. Teams of the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI), the bomb detection squad, the National Security Guard (NSG), the central paramilitary forces and the West Bengal Police were part of the searches at Sandeshkhali -- a riverine delta -- on the fringes of the Sunderbans in North 24 Parganas district. TMC moves EC over CBI's Sandeshkhali raid, says BJP 'weaponized' agencies for 'smear campaign' Banerjee also said, Today, I heard there was an incident near Sandeshkhali. A BJP leader had stored bombs in his house. They think that they can win the elections by cancelling (school) jobs and with bombs. We want 'roti, kapda, makaan' and jobs for the people, not their lofty speeches. The Trinamool Congress on Saturday alleged that several people were injured after a bomb went off at the house of a relative of a BJP leader in Basirhat assembly constituency. She was apparently referring to the Calcutta High Court judgment on school jobs. The court declared the recruitment process of the State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools as 'null and void', ordering the cancellation of all appointments made through it. HC order on Bengal school jobs 'illegal', will challenge: Mamata

Mamata Banerjee Injured after Falling Inside Helicopter

Kolkata:West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sustained injuries after falling inside a helicopter while boarding it for Lok Sabha election campaigning on Saturday. Reports say, she reportedly suffered a minor injury. Later, she continued with her onward travel to Asansol. The West Bengal CM slipped and fell while taking a seat after boarding her helicopter [] The post Mamata Banerjee Injured after Falling Inside Helicopter appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Mamata loses balance, falls while boarding helicopter

Following the incident, she flew to Kulti and addressed a rally in support of TMC's Asansol candidate Shatrughan Sinha.

Mamata loses balance while boarding helicopter

I am now in a position (as Chief Minister). If I had not been in this position, I would have pulled out the tongue. - Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CM I am now in a position (as Chief Minister). If I had not been in this position, I would have pulled out the tongue. - Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CM Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost her balance and fell while boarding a helicopter in Durgapur in Paschim Bardhaman district on Saturday afternoon. She was on the way to Kulti for an election rally when the incident happened. The CM fell inside the helicopter after losing her balance while she was trying to sit. She is fine, a senior officer, who was accompanying Banerjee, told PTI. Following the incident, she flew to Kulti and addressed a rally in support of TMC's Asansol candidate Shatrughan Sinha

Mamata Banerjee injured again after fall while boarding helicopter

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday, April 27, reportedly got injured after slipping and falling while taking a seat after boarding her helicopter in Durgapur. The chief minister reportedly suffered a minor injury and was helped by her security personnel. She continued with her onward travel to Asansol, reported ANI. #WATCH | West Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Watch: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee slips and falls inside chopper, injured

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee suffered an injury on Saturday after boarding a helicopter in Durgapur. The CM was helped by her security personnel and she continued with her onward travel to Asansol, said reports. The incident comes just a month after the CM suffered a serious injury on her forehead after slipping at her residence.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee sustains minor injuries while boarding helicopter

This incident occurred as she was enroute to a public rally in Asansol. Banerjee proceeded with her scheduled activities after receiving first aid.

Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla votes in Darjeeling

Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla votes in Darjeeling Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday cast his vote at a polling booth in Darjeeling. After casting his vote, Shringla showed his inked finger at the polling booth there. Darjeeling has been a BJP bastion since 2009, with the Trinamool Congress never managing to wrest the seat from the principal opposition party in the state. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, MP Raju Bista won the constituency with 59.2 per cent of the total votes polled against TMC's Amar Singh Rai, who bagged a mere 26.6 per cent votes. In 2014, BJP's SS Ahluwalia, who is in the fray this year from Asansol, won 42.8 per cent of votes against 25.5 per cent won by former footballer and TMC's star candidate Bhaichung Bhutia. Apart from Darjeeling, voting is also taking place in Balurghat, and Raiganj in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections today. Voting for the remaining constituencies of West Bengal will be held on May 4, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. The Lok Sabha election is being held in seven phases till June 1 and votes will be counted on June 4. There are 8.08 crore male and 7.8 crore female voters among the electorates who will decide the fate of candidates. As many as 5,929 third-gender electors will also exercise their franchise in the second phase of polls. The first phase of voting for the seven-phased Lok Sabha election, the world's largest electoral exercise, was held on April 19 in 102 constituencies across 21 states and UTs. According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout registered was over 62 per cent. The third phase election will be held on May 7. (ANI)

SS Ahluwalia files nomination as BJP candidate; set to take on Shatrughan Sinha in Asansol Lok Sabha seat

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People will give a befitting reply to PM Modi, says Shatrughan Sinha while filing nomination for Asansol

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Met forecasts heatwave conditions in several south Bengal districts

Met forecasts heatwave conditions in several south Bengal districts Several areas in south Bengal on Wednesday recorded temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, with the meteorological department predicting heatwave conditions persisting until April 21. The forecast indicates that heatwave conditions will persist across various districts in south Bengal, including Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Purulia, Bankura, and Birbhum. Additionally, the weather office said hot and humid conditions will prevail in other parts of the region. Over the next three days, the maximum temperature is expected to increase by two to three degrees Celsius, with minimal change thereafter, according to the Meteorological department. To mitigate heat-related risks, people have been advised to avoid prolonged exposure to heat and outdoor activities between 11 am and 4 pm. Panagarh in Paschim Bardhaman district registered the highest daytime temperature on Wednesday at 42.8 degrees Celsius, surpassing the normal by six notches, weathermen said. Other areas experiencing temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius include Bankura (42.1), Barrackpore (41.5), Medinipur (41), Kalaikunda (41), Bardhaman (40.8), and Asansol (40.7), they said. Kolkata recorded a maximum temperature of 39.4 degrees Celsius, exceeding the normal by four degrees.

Aakar Patel| We cant forget how govt failed to tackle Covids 2021 2nd wave

Three years ago, on April 15, 2021, the National Task Force on Covid-19 met for the first time in three months (the last meeting was on January 11). Cases were now at 216,000 and deaths over 1,100. Two days after that, on April 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held what he said was his largest-ever rally at Asansol in West Bengal, with lakhs of people in the audience. The daily positive cases that day were 260,000 with 1,500 deaths. Till this time, Mr Modi had appeared to be oblivious to the power of exponential growth though the government was warned specifically and severally about an impending second wave. It was only after he returned that evening from West Bengal and perhaps internalised the commentary on television of the devastation in Delhis hospitals that Mr Modi acted. The next day, April 18, he cancelled any further activity at the Kumbh Mela. Daily cases were now at 275,000 but it still took another four days for Mr Modi to cancel his rallies in Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum and Kolkata. He said the rallies would be virtual (in reality, only the speaker was virtual and appeared on a screen; the crowd still gathered). By now, cases were at 332,000, with 2,200 deaths daily. The same day that Mr Modi cancelled his rallies, the obliging Election Commission banned rallies for all parties. In guiding India through this second wave, Mr Modi flew by the seat of his pants. Structurally, there was nothing other than his office running the Covid-19 strategy. The Union Cabinet did not decide or discuss a single issue related to the pandemic as the second wave surged through March and April 2021. It met five times, but only to clear things like the second phase of Bengalurus metro project and some memoranda of understanding with foreign nations. Even on May 11, it met only to approve things like a ropeway project in Uttarakhand. Ministers did not appear to know what Mr Modis vaccination strategy was, or if indeed he had any. On May 18, Nitin Gadkari asked for more firms to be issued licences to make the vaccine. This was reported the next day, and it was pointed out that this was exactly what former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had suggested to Mr Modi a month before (a suggestion that was met with an insolent reply from Harsh Vardhan). In the face of calamity, Mr Modi froze. In the seven months from March to September 2020, Mr Modi made 82 public appearances physical as well as virtual. In the next four months, he made 111 such appearances. From February to April 25, 2021, he clocked 92 public appearances. From April 25, after he called off the Kumbh and his West Bengal rallies, Mr Modi disappeared. He made no public appearance for 20 days. The Prime Minister of India fled the field when his people needed the government most. Twice in 2020, in April and in November, the government had been warned that an oxygen shortage was looming. The minutes of one meeting said in clear terms: In the coming days India could face a shortage of oxygen supplies. While before April, Mr Modi did not himself take the pandemic seriously, he also insisted on managing it personally. If there was any strategy at all in tackling the pandemic, it came directly from Mr Modis office; there was no role for the Cabinet in pandemic control, PMO calls the shots, as a newspaper headline put it. This was in keeping with the way in which he has run the government all this time. A wave that began at the end of February was not only allowed to gather momentum, it was goaded on. Through four weeks of March, through three weeks of April, India held gigantic gatherings directly organised by the BJP or approved and encouraged by it. The consequences were felt by the countrys healthcare system, which was always fragile and unavailable to the poor at the best of times. Here, the second aspect to tackling a pandemic, the failure to anticipate the effects of a sudden wave and the preparation of a war chest of medical equipment, came into playIn the eight weeks between March 1 and April 30, Indias daily cases grew 40 times from 11,000 to more than 400,000. No healthcare system in the world can handle an explosion of patients of this sort. The only way to protect the population is to stockpile things that may not be immediately required today but are produced and procured and set aside in anticipation of a waves peak. India did not do that. In April 2020, the government decided it would procure 50,000 Make in India ventilators, but ultimately only procured 35,000 of them after it determined that the pandemic had been seen off. Corporates like Maruti said they had made ventilators, but the government chose not to procure them. Two months before the second wave, on February 21, 2021, the BJP passed a resolution: It can be said with pride that India not only defeated Covid under the able, sensitive, committed and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, but also infused in all its citizens the confidence to build an Atma Nirbhar Bharat. The party unequivocally hails its leadership for introducing India to the world as a proud and victorious nation in the fight against Covid. When the crematoria began to overflow, no reference to this was made. All this may not affect the claims and the bombast, but this is not history from 1526, this happened to us just three years ago and must not be forgotten.

Adhir and Ahluwalia face protests during election campaign

Both Baharampur and Asansol are going to polls on May 13. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is five term Congress MP while S.S. Ahluwalia has represented Darjeeling and Bardhaman Durgapur.

BJP nominates former PM Chandra Shekhar's son for Ballia, SS Ahluwalia for Asansol

BJP shuffles MPs in UP, bringing Neeraj Shekhar, Sanjay Tandon, and others into the fray. The party strategically places candidates to target specific communities in different constituencies for the upcoming elections.

BJP Picks Ex Union Minister SS Ahluwalia To Take On Shatrughan Sinha In Bengal's Asansol

The BJP on Wednesday announced the nomination of former Union minister SS Ahluwalia from the Asansol Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal.

BJP fields Ahluwalia in West Bengals Asansol against Trinamools Shatrughan Sinha

S.S. Ahluwalia, a two term BJP MP, is a politician with significant political experience

Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh throws his hat in the ring, names seat but keeps mum on party

Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh throws his hat in the ring, names seat but keeps mum on party Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh, who had turned down a BJP ticket for Asansol in West Bengal, on Wednesday said he will contest Lok Sabha polls from Karakat in his home state of Bihar. Singh made the announcement on X but did not disclose whether he would be contesting as an Independent or as the candidate of a political party. ''One's mother carries greater weight than this earth. I had promised my mother that I would contest elections this time. I will stand from Karakat, Bihar, in the Lok Sabha polls. Jai Mata Di,'' Singh wrote in Hindi. Notably, the announcement comes on a day the BJP has declared SS Ahluwalia, its sitting MP from Bardhaman-Durgapur, as the candidate from Asansol, where actor turned politician Shatrughan Sinha is seeking re-election on a Trinamool Congress ticket. Singh, who hails from Bhojpur district in Bihar, and was said to be eyeing the Arrah seat where Union minister RK Singh is seeking re-election for a third consecutive term. The Bhojpuri singer was named the party candidate from Asansol but he withdrew from the contest following a backlash over some of his songs with misogynistic lyrics that also denigrated the Bengali community. Karakat goes to polls in the seventh phase of Lok Sabha elections and filing of nomination papers will begin in about a month from now. The Bhojpuri singer, by entering the fray, would queer the pitch for former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, an ex-MP from Karakat whose Rashtriya Lok Morcha has been assigned the seat by the NDA. Kushwaha's principal challenge is likely to come from far-Left CPI(ML) Liberation, which will contest the seat on behalf of INDIA bloc, and has fielded veteran peasant leader and former MLA Raja Ram Singh. Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM has also said that it will contest the central Bihar seat.

Pawan Singh, who turned down BJP ticket from Asansol, to fight from Bihar seat

Pawan Singh who turned down BJP ticket from Asansol to fight from Bihar seat

Bhojpuri Star Pawan Singh Announces Contesting From Bihar's Karakat After BJP Declares Ahluwalia As Asansol Candidate

Entire UP is completely angry: Rajnath Singh attacks SP, Congress over their narratives against BJP

Entire UP is completely angry: Rajnath Singh attacks SP, Congress over their narratives against BJP Union Minister Rajnath Singh attacked the Samajwadi Party and Congress on Wednesday for their arratives against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a public rally in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur and said that the entire UP is completely angry with the Congress and SP. Rajnath Singh claimed that while both parties propagated a narrative of anger among the state's populace against the BJP, they failed to acknowledge that the people of Uttar Pradesh were dissatisfied with them. While addressing a public meeting in Saharanpur, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, As far as the question of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress is concerned, I remember that during the 2017 assembly elections, both SP and Congress ran a narrative that the backward people of UP were angry with the BJP. In 2019, again, they started a new narrative that Brahmins were angry with the BJP. Likewise, in 2022, again, they spread a narrative of Jats being angry with the BJP and now in 2024, a narrative is being spread that the Rajputs are angry with the BJP, he said. However, both parties are not prepared to realise that the entire UP is completely angry with the Congress and SP, added Singh. Rajnath Singh further said, I want to speak about this and say that if someone can find a solution for the unhappiness of the people of UP, then it is not Congress or SP but only BJP. Taking a hit at both parties, Rajnath Singh further said, The Samajwadi Party's condition is such that the party's candidates keep changing from Monday to Sunday. It is a crisis. And if we speak about Congress, its condition is such that the party is not even able to find candidates. I believe that after the 2024 elections, people will ask, what is SP and what is Congress? stated Singh. In his address to the gathering, Rajnath Singh also lauded UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his efforts to improve the law and order situation in the state. Addressing the public, he said, The first condition for the development of any state is to have a fair and proper law and order system. And our UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has succeeded in making this possible, so I congratulate him on this. If I were to discuss all the work that has been done by Chief Minister Yogi, it would take a very long time. I have full belief that all kinds of issues will be solved in the state under the governance of Chief Minister Yogi, said Singh. Meanwhile, the BJP released its 10th list of 9 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections on Wednesday. The list, which was released on Wednesday, had eight new names, while the party replaced its candidate from West Bengal's Asansol. The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases starting April 19. Nearly 97 crore voters are eligible to cast votes in the general election. The counting of votes will take place on June 4. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won 303 seats, while the Indian National Congress (INC) managed to get only 52 seats. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won 282 seats, while the Indian National Congress (INC) managed to get only 44 seats. (ANI)

BJP Fields SS Ahluwalia vs Shatrughan Sinha In Bengal's Asansol

BJP has released its tenth list of Lok Sabha candidates this morning, including for Bengal's Asansol constituency. SS Ahluwalia is going to contest from this constituency. He is going to take on Shatrughan Sinha fielded by the TMC.

Lok Sabha polls: BJP fields former PM Chandrashekhar's son Neeraj Shekhar from Ballia, UP

The BJP announced its 10th list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, featuring Neeraj Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, who will contest from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh, replacing four-term MP Virendra Singh. SS Ahluwalia was named as the candidate from Asansol in West Bengal.

BJP releases 10th list of candidates, replaces Pawan Singh with Ahluwalia from Asansol

New Delhi, April 10 (UNI) BJP on Wednesday released the 10th list of nine candidates for the Lok Sabha Polls from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Chandigarh. The list has eight new names and the BJP replaced its candidate from West Bengals Asansol. The party has earlier fielded Pawan Singh from Asansol and he is... The post BJP releases 10th list of candidates, replaces Pawan Singh with Ahluwalia from Asansol first appeared on Central India's Premier English Daily .

LS polls 2024: BJP releases 10th list of candidates, fields ex-PM Chandra Shekhars son Neeraj from Ballia, SS Ahluwalia from Asansol

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BJP releases 10th list of candidates, drops sitting MP Kirron Kher from Chandigarh, fields SS Ahluwalia from Asansol

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its tenth list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, announcing 9 names. Notably, sitting MP Kirron Kher was dropped from Chandigarh, replaced by Sanjay Tandon. Former Union Minister SS Ahluwalia was nominated from West Bengal's Asansol, replacing Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh.

NIA moves Calcutta HC against WB police summons

Kolkata: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) moved the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday after two of its officers got summons from the West Bengal police for questioning in the case of the violent mob attack on the central agency team during its raid and arrest of two Trinamul Congress workers at Bhupatinagar in East Midnapore last week in a 2022 crude bomb blast case. The two NIA officers have been asked to appear at the Bhupatinagar police station on April 11 with their vehicle that was damaged in the attack. One of them was injured in the mob fury. He has been directed to bring his medical reports with him for scrutiny while another officer is the one who had lodged the complaint of the mob attack. The NIA team also faces an FIR on molestation charge following a complaint by the wife of one of the arrested accused. Waking up to the summons and the FIR of molestation, the NIA moved the HC and sought permission to file a case against them. It's plea was accepted. Justice Jay Sengupta is likely to hear the matter. In the evening the TMC claimed that superintendent of police (NIA) Kolkata Branch office, Dhan Ram Singh, whom it accused of taking money from BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari to conduct the raid, has been moved out of the city. It posted on X-handle, With our relentless pressure, @NIA_India has been forced to call SP Dhan Ram Singh, caught in cahoots with BJP's @JitendraAsansol, back to Delhi. Looks like the tainted officer is being transferred. BJP's stooges like him have no place in Bengal. *NIA-BJP = 0, Bengal = 1!*

A non-BJP government will be formed: TMC leader Kunal Ghosh on 2024 Lok Sabha elections

A non-BJP government will be formed: TMC leader Kunal Ghosh on 2024 Lok Sabha elections Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over its ambitious 2024 Lok Sabha election slogan of 'Ab ki baar 400 par, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh on Sunday said that this time BJP won't secure victory Ghosh recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement made during the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2021, where he had proclaimed 'Abki baar 200 paar'. He (PM Modi) had said in Bengal in 2021 that 'Abki baar 200 paar' but what happened? This time BJP will not win, a non-BJP secular government will be formed at the Centre. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said. Earlier, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and candidate for the Asansol Lok Sabha seat, Shatrughan Sinha denounced the party's slogan Ab ki baar 400 paar, suggesting it stemmed from fear rather than confidence. Highlighting the role of the BJP, in the recent electoral bonds case, Sinha stated that the party misused the central agencies to extort money from companies. The BJP is in trouble because of a big scam called the electoral bonds case. They're accused of using government agencies to get money from companies and giving contracts to dishonest companies, going against their promise of not being corrupt. Because of all this, BJP's popularity has dropped a lot. Now, they're trying to win people back with the slogan 'Ab ki baar 400 paar' because they are desperate, Sinha said Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government of putting brakes on central government schemes. Addressing a public meeting in Jalpaiguri, PM Modi said, The TMC government here puts brakes on our development schemes. The central government sent Rs 30,000 crore for building houses of poor. Modi says that the money should directly go into the account of the beneficiary, but TMC says that the money should first come into their leader's accounts. So, you tell you, how should I let TMC loot public money?. He added, The Centre is sending money for 'Nal se Jal' to bring tap water in the houses of every sister, but the scheme is not being implemented properly in Bengal. I want to provide free gas connections to people, but the corrupt, anti-poor and anti-SC/ST TMC government is not letting it happen. Poor patients are getting free treatment upto Rs 5 lakh, but the anti-poor TMC government is not letting this scheme (Ayushman Bharat) from being implemented.The 42 parliamentary seats of Bengal will poll across all seven phases--on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.In 2019, TMC won the maximum 22 out of 42 seats, but BJP improved its tally significantly creating inroads and bagging 18 seats. The Congress won two seats. (ANI)

Thunderstorm forecast for West Bengal amid sweltering heat

Thunderstorm forecast for West Bengal amid sweltering heat People of southern West Bengal are likely to get a respite from the sweltering heat with the Met Department on Saturday forecasting thunderstorms owing to the formation of a cyclonic circulation over north Bangladesh. Heatwave conditions are prevailing over several districts in the region, with Panagarh recording the highest temperature in the state at 41.7 degrees Celsius, closely followed by Bankura at 41.5 degrees Celsius, the weather office said. It forecast thunderstorms with lightning and gusty wind in the region till Monday, and in northern West Bengal till Wednesday owing to a cyclonic circulation lying over north Bangladesh and strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal. Southern West Bengal, which has seen a steady rise in day temperatures over the last one week, is set to see a fall in the mercury level by three to four notches, the forecast said, providing people of the region with hope of a respite from the sweltering heat. Kolkata recorded 38.3 degrees Celsius, while Asansol, Purulia and Barrackpore crossed the 40 degrees mark, it said.

Eyeing fresh term in LS from Asansol, TMC's 'Shotgun' sets the bar higher

Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who was renominated by the ruling TMC from the Asansol Lok Sabha seat, said on Friday he would try to ensure an even bigger margin of victory than what he recorded in the previous bypoll.

Eyeing fresh term in LS from Asansol, TMCs Shotgun sets the bar higher

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Will Break Previous Record: Shatrughan Sinha Files Nomination From Asansol

Bollywood actor and Trinamool MP Shatrughan Sinha expressed his happiness over filing his nomination from West Bengal's Asansol constituency on Thursday. I have spent all festivals in Asansol. I spend nearly 15 days here every month. I emerged victorious with record votes last time and we will try to break that record this time, he said.

Pro-TMC forum of intellectuals on 2-week campaign trail

Pro-TMC forum of intellectuals on 2-week campaign trail A pro-Trinamool Congress forum of intellectuals launched a two-week long campaign from Saturday to canvass support for party candidates ahead of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections beginning from April 19. The Desh Bachao Gana Manch (Save Country Peoples Platform) consists of singers Pratul Mukhopadhyay, Nachiketa Chakraborty, Sobhan Sundar Basu and others. We want the defeat of undemocratic, authoritarian, communal forces in the coming Lok Sabha polls and want to tell people there is no alternative to TMC, one of the forum members said. Their campaign on Saturday covered areas like Kolkata airport, Haroa and Baruipur. In the coming days, they will travel to places such as Canning, Kalyani, Krishnanagar, Jangipur, Malda, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Suri, Bolpur, Asansol, Durgapur and Hooghly crisscrossing northern and southern parts of the state. The campaign by the intellectuals will continue till April 13.

BJP names candidates for 2 more LS seats in Bengal

BJP names candidates for 2 more LS seats in Bengal The BJP on Saturday announced candidates for the Jhargram (ST) and Birbhum Lok Sabha seats on Saturday night. While Dr Pranat Tudu has been fielded from Jhargram, former IPS officer Debashis Dhar will contest from Birbhum. Tudu will lock horns with his principal rival Kalipada Soren of the TMC while Dhar is pitted against actor-turned-sitting MP Satabdi Roy. Tudu, a physician, said he is happy as the national leadership reposed faith in him and he is hopeful about serving the poor in a new way. With Saturday's announcement, the BJP named candidates for 40 out of 42 seats so far. Diamond Harbour and Asansol seats, where the sitting MPs are Abhishek Banerjee and Shatraghan Sinha, both of the TMC, are now left. TMC spokesperson and former MP Santanu Sen said in a post on X, ''@BJP4India and @BJP4Bengal are yet to find a person to face the Royal Bengal Tiger in Diamond Harbour Abhishek Banerjee, the national general secretary of @AITCofficial.'' ''They couldn't find candidate for the Asansol too, where the declared candidate already ran away,'' Sen posted. BJP had declared Bhojpuri singer and actor Pawan Singh as its nominee for Asansol but he announced his inability to contest the next day. Though he had not specified the reason behind his decision to not contest from Asansol, his candidature had drawn criticism from the TMC, which alleged that some of his songs were crude and depicted women, including those from Bengal, in a vulgar way.

Consumer durables industry: Demand for temporary workers increase in small towns & hinterlands by up to 30% from last year

The demand for more workers is mainly from places such as Panipat, Varanasi, Asansol, Dhanbad, Guwahati, Raipur, Nagpur, Jaipur, Patna, Salem, Calicut, Coimbatore, Vizag, Cuttack, Guntur, Nellore and Madurai, as large Indian companies and multinationals look to expand their network amid a rise in demand for air-conditioners, coolers, refrigerators, fans and inverters in tier 2 and 3 regions.

Asansol Lok Sabha constituency: Know polling date, party wise candidates, past results

The upcoming Lok Sabha election for the Asansol constituency is scheduled to take place in April, with the voting set for May 13 (Phase 4) and the results to be announced on June 4.

Modi Holds CEC Meet to Finalise Names for Lok Sabha Polls

New Delhi: The BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) met on Saturday to finalise names of candidates for Odisha, Maharashtra, Karnataka and remaining names for Rajasthan, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal Lok Sabha election. The party has already declared to contest solo in Odisha where talks with the states ruling party BJD over alliance failed. The meeting, which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was chaired by the partys national president J.P. Nadda at the partys headquarters and attended by other CEC members also including union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP Odisha unit chief Manmohan Samal along with organisational secretary Manas Mohanty also attended the meeting when names of candidates for their respective states were discussed. Among the names from UP, the party will be deciding on seats which are currently represented by its MPs Varun Gandhi, Maneka Gandhi, Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, Santosh Gangwar, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Virendra Singh Mast and others. The BJP had released 195 names in its first list on March 2. So far, the party has announced 291 candidates out of which two of them from Gujarat have expressed their inability to contest the coming polls. Ranjanben Bhatt from Vadodara and Bhikhaji Thakor, the partys candidate for Sabarkantha, announced that they are unwilling to contest the polls from their respective constituencies. While Bhatt is a sitting MP, Thakor is a new name and their candidatures were opposed by the BJP cadre. Two other candidates, Pawan Singh, who was fielded from Asansol in West Bengal and Upendra Rawat from Barabanki had also expressed their ability to not contest. However, it is not clear whether the party will be fielding other candidates on these two seats. Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases, from April 19 to June 1. Counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.

INDIA bloc like 'filtered coffee'; Congress comeback cannot be ruled out: Shatrughan Sinha

INDIA bloc like 'filtered coffee'; Congress comeback cannot be ruled out: Shatrughan Sinha Senior TMC leader and MP Shatrughan Sinha has dubbed opposition bloc INDIA as ''filtered coffee'' which is gaining momentum ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and emphasised the importance of not discounting the Congress, citing its track record of comebacks in politics. Lauding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for conducting ''krantikari (revolutionary) yatras'' across the country, the Asansol MP, however, asserted that TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would be a ''game-changer'' after the results are announced. In an interview with PTI, the actor-turned-politician termed the electoral bond as a ''major scam and extortion racket'' of the BJP and said the ''seven-phase elections are a boon for the opposition parties to expose the saffron camps extortion and blackmail racket in the form of electoral bonds.'' ''The BJP will be defeated in this election. If the NDA has the support of the CBI, ED, and Income Tax, INDIA has the support of the masses. Many think that INDIA doesnt have partners, but the fact is people are its biggest ally. The opposition alliance is gaining momentum in various parts of the country,'' he said. He claimed that INDIA alliance is like ''filtered coffee'' with ''solid leaders'' such as Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party, Tejashwi Yadav of RJD, and many others being part of the bloc. ''Several important leaders across the country are part of the INDIA alliance, and that is why I call this filtered coffee. This filtered coffee would taste much better when other opposition leaders would also join it after the elections,'' he said. Asked about the reluctance of parties like AAP and TMC to have Congress leading the opposition bloc, Sinha remarked that the presence of the grand old party ''is a must for any opposition alliance just like any other opposition party.'' ''Congress is a national party and should not be ruled out. It has a history and track record of making comebacks. In 2019 also, it had the highest seat share among opposition parties,'' he said. Speaking about the INDIA alliance not gaining traction in states such as Punjab and Bengal despite AAP and TMC being part of the opposition front on the national level, Sinha said, ''Ground-level alliances were not possible in some states as it would lead to the opposition space going to the BJP.'' ''Maybe the official alliance is not on the ground, but leaders of INDIA alliance such as Mamata Banerjee will sweep the elections in Bengal,'' he said. Sinha, however, noted that not being part of the opposition front in the states doesnt mean they ''will not come together after elections.'' ''Those who are not in the INDIA bloc now or are fighting separately doesnt mean they will not join the opposition front after the polls. After the elections, the opposition will come together to oust the BJP,'' the TMC MP said. Mocking the BJP's assertion of securing over 370 seats independently and the NDA surpassing 400 seats, Sinha said, ''Such claims reflect the frustration in the saffron party camp.'' ''BJP can achieve this figure only through manipulation. If they indulge in horse-trading as it did to form a government in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, then they can manage something or else they wont touch 150-175 seats,'' he said. The BJP had won 303 seats in the last Lok Sabha polls. Likening the electoral bond as icing on the cake for the opposition during the staggered poll campaign, he said, ''Electoral bond is a big scam and an extortion racket of the BJP by using the CBI and the ED to extort money by threatening raids and arrests. The business in the name of donations is now out in the open.'' The BJP received the maximum funds through these bonds at Rs 6,986.5 crore since they were introduced in 2018, followed by West Bengal's ruling party Trinamool Congress (Rs 1,397 crore), Congress (Rs 1,334 crore), and BRS (Rs 1,322 crore). Asked about opposition parties including the TMC receiving funds through electoral bonds, he said, ''You cannot compare the two, whether it is Congress, TMC, or any other opposition party, they have received money under the system but didnt misuse central agencies.'' ''I think this issue of electoral bonds is icing on the cake for the opposition as the seven-phase elections for nearly 2.5 months will give it an opportunity to expose the BJP in front of the masses on the issue,'' he said. The Supreme Court recently annulled the electoral bonds scheme for political funding. An electoral bond is a financial instrument for making donations to political parties as had been first pronounced by the finance minister in the Union Budget 2017-18. Sinha lauded Rahul Gandhi for conducting two yatras crisscrossing the entire length and breadth of the country. ''Rahul Gandhi is a competent leader. He is a tried and tested leader. But at the same time, I believe our party supremo will be the game-changer in terms of government formation post-elections. But who will be prime minister will be decided by the opposition parties after elections,'' he said. Sinha had joined the BJP in the early 80s and served the saffron camp as its star campaigner during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-L K Advani era. The two-term BJP MP from Patna Sahib later walked out of the party over differences with the present leadership and joined the Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Bollywood actor of the 1970s and 1980s switched over to the TMC in 2022. He successfully fought the by-election from Asansol, an industrial town in West Bengal. Sinha, who has been renominated for the second time from the Asansol seat, exuded confidence in retaining the seat by a larger margin than the 2022 bypoll.

Election Commission Declares Six Lok Sabha Constituencies As 'Financially Sensitive'

These six constituencies are Darjeeling, Malda Uttar, Malda Dakshin, Asansol, Bangaon and Kolkata North, he said.

Six LS constituencies in Bengal identified as financially sensitive seats

Kolkata, March 19 (IANS) Six out of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal have been identified as financially sensitive seats, sources in the state Chief Electoral Officers (CEO) office said on Tuesday. The six constituencies are Maldaha Uttar, Maldaha Dakshin, Darjeeling, Asansol, Bangaon, and Kolkata Uttar. The poll panel has also directed the []

TMC unhappy with seven-phase polls in Bengal; BJP, Congress, CPM welcome decision

KOLKATA: West Bengals 42 Lok Sabha constituencies will vote in seven phases in the 18th general elections starting from April 19 and ending on June 1. The electoral exercise will continue for 44 days. The Election Commission (EC)s decision to conduct the Lok Sabha polls in Bengal in the maximum number of phases along with Bihar and Uttar Pradesh drew sharp criticism from the ruling TMC, which argued that polling in so many phases in the state would be advantageous to the BJP. Leaders of the ruling party alleged that the poll panel maligned the image of the state by ignoring their views recommending voting in a single phase. However, all the opposition parties BJP, Congress and CPI(M) welcomed the ECs decision. We have noticed that more voters turn out to exercise their franchise if there are fewer number of phases. This is why we demanded polling in a single phase. Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are big states but they are voting in one phase. Why so many phases for Bengal? This is nothing but a tactic to spread terror which will be advantageous for the BJP, said TMC minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. Sources in the TMC said the party supremo Mamata Banerjee would make the seven-phase poll in Bengal an issue in the campaign portraying it as an attempt to defame Bengal as a volatile state. She will stress that political parties like the BJP with deeper pockets are at an advantage over others when it comes to multi-phase polling. She will also give examples of other states with similar geographical size and sending around the same number of MPs to the Lok Sabha, which are voting in a single phase, said a senior TMC leader. Mamata says 'no ties' with brother after he expresses displeasure over TMC's Howrah candidate Welcoming the ECs decision, BJPs state president Sukanta Majumdar said the TMCs muscle flexing in the election would not work this time. We are happy with the ECs polls schedule. But the way voters are intimidated in Bengal, there should have been more phases. TMCs muscle power will not work this time, he said. State Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, expressed his happiness over the seven-phase polling in Bengal. Had it been in one phase, as demanded by the TMC, the ruling party would have unleashed terror across the state. The seven-phase polling will help the electorate to exercise their franchise, he said. CPI(M)s Sujan Chakrabarty said his party would have welcomed it even if there had been 12 phases. We dont have any problem with the number of phases in Bengal, he said. Vigilant Governor Expressing his commitment to be actively engaged in the upcoming general elections, West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose said he would be present on the roads from 6 am on polling days to put an end to violence. Bose assure that he would exert his utmost effort to achieve his goal. I will be in the field right from day one of the election. My two priorities will be to see that no violence and corruption takes place during the election. I will be on the road at 6 am before others wake up, said Bose. Mamatas new foe a judge without a gavel Party wise strength In 2019 LS polls: TMC-22, BJP-18, Congress-2 (After Asansol BJP MP Babul Supriya defected to the TMC, the seat was won by it in the by-election taking its present tally to 23 and reducing the BJPs strength to 17) Bengal schedule: First phase (3 LS constituencies): April 19 - Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri. Second phase (3 LS constituencies): April 26 - Darjeeling, Raiganj and Balurghat. Third phase (4 LS constituencies): May 7 - Malda Uttar, Malda Dakshin, Jangipur and Murshidabad. Fourth phase (8 LS constituencies): May 13 - Baharampur, Krishnagar, Ranaghat, Bardhaman Purba, Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur and Birbhum. Fifth phase (7 LS constituencies): May 20 - Bongaon Barrackpore, Howrah, Uluberia, Serampore, Hooghly, Arambag. Sixth phase (8 LS constituencies): May 25 - Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Midnipur, Purulia, Bankura and Bishnupur Seventh phase (9 LS constituencies): June 1 - Barasat, Basirhat, Dum Dum, Kolkata Uttar, Kolkata Dakshin, Jadavpur, Mathurapur, Jaynagar and Diamond Harbour. Why Mamata gave Congress the cold shoulder in West Bengal

TMC Against Seven-phase LS Polls in WB

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee has ordered Adilabad district and mandal level leaders to attend the TPCC general body meeting on Wednesday, which will be chaired by the newly appointed AICC in-charge of Telangana Deepa Dasmunshi. Ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabh (DC file photo) Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee has ordered Adilabad district and mandal level leaders to attend the TPCC general body meeting on Wednesday, which will be chaired by the newly appointed AICC in-charge of Telangana Deepa Dasmunshi. Ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabh (DC file photo) Kolkata: The Trinamul Congress has objected to the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections for the 42 seats in West Bengal. State finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya claimed, We repeatedly had sought the LS polls be held in one or two phases in Bengal because we found that the minimal phases help people to cast their votes freely and increase their turnout here. Still the number of phases has been stretched to seven. She also pointed out: If there are multiple phases, voter turnout drops like it happened in 2019 compared to its previous occasion. It is also against federal structure as it helps those, who have the moneypower, to mobilize their funds fully by utilizing the time they get out of multiple phases. Bhattacharya added, Many bigger states are going to have one phase poll. There was no need to hold the LS polls here in seven phases. Among the 42 seats in Bengal, three seats each will go to the first two phases. These are Coochbehar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri on April 19 and Darjeeling, Raiganj and Balurghat on April 26. The third phase on May 4 will cover Malda North, Malda South, Murshidabad and Jangipur. On May 13, Berhampore, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bardhaman Purba, BardhamanDurgapur, Asansol, Bolpur, Birbhum will go to polls in the fourth round, followed by Bongaon, Barrackpore, Howrah, Uluberia, Serampore, Hooghly and Arambagh in the fifth phase on May 20. While the sixth phase on May 25 will cover Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura and Bishnupur, the seventh and final round will have Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Joynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, Kolkata Uttar on June 1.

Asansol Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Dates, schedule, result, partywise candidates and all you need to know

The Asansol Lok Sabha election in West Bengal is scheduled for April, one among the crucial 42 seats in the state. The voting and result announcement date will be disclosed by the Election Commission of India on March 16. Shatrughan Sinha is the Trinamool Congress candidate, while BJP's Pawan Singh withdrew. In 2019, BJP's Babul Supriyo won, while in 2014, he emerged victorious again.

Cannot say anything about it, BJP MP Nirahua on Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh contesting LS polls from Asansol

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