Stories from Kolkata · India

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to resign from her post. She alleged vote rigging and malpractice throughout the entire election process in Kolkata. A commentator on BCC News Taiwan suggested that political figures should not engage in risky actions for the sake of pride, citing the example of a leader who insisted on traveling despite potential security risks. The Election Commission has dismissed allegations made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding vote counting in the Bhawanipur assembly constituency. The commission described the claims as baseless and false in a statement. The district election officer of South Kolkata clarified that the entire counting process was conducted properly.

The Indian central government approved a plan today to reduce the number of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 31. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to nominate a state representative for the position, according to a press conference in Kolkata.

The Trinamool Congress party claims a recent voter list cleanup process was faulty and excluded millions of legitimate voters. The party alleges many of the removed voters were supporters of the Trinamool Congress.

Political analyst Binebi Singh Bihari reported that 26,000 jobs were lost due to government corruption. The loss of these positions has created an uncertain future for the affected youth. The report was made from Kolkata.

According to Election Commission of India data, Mamata Banerjee is currently leading in the Bhawanipur seat. The constituency features a contest between Banerjee and BJP leader Shobhna Uddikari. The BJP is reported to be leading in 111 seats overall. Previously, Shobhna Uddikari was leading the race. Mamata Banerjee, minister and TMC leader, lost the Bhawanipur constituency by over 15,000 votes to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari. Adhikari also won the Nandigram seat. Congress candidate Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury lost the Baharampur seat. In Assam, the ruling BJP is set to form the government for the third consecutive time, with BJP and its allies winning 102 out of 126 assembly seats. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi thanked the people of Kerala for a decisive mandate, stating that democracy and the Indian constitution have won.

Kosta Bakshi, a candidate for Narendra Modi's BJP, is campaigning in Kolkata for the West Bengal assembly elections. Bakshi is visiting residents door-to-door wearing traditional white and red attire while carrying a fish. The campaign approach focuses on visual cues and personal connection rather than policy speeches. A political leader campaigning in Kolkata, West Bengal, called recent claims regarding the region a lie. The leader stated that fish and rice are integral parts of Bengal's culture that will never end. The remarks were made during a campaign event in the eastern Indian city. The leader used the cultural significance of fish to address economic and geographic anxieties in the region. Rakesh Singh, a candidate for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), staged a spectacle in the port area of Kolkata.

Voting for the Assembly elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Puducherry is scheduled for Sunday. Overall, regional assembly elections have been reported as peaceful. Voting has commenced for seats in West Bengal as part of India's electoral process. Repolling was conducted for two Assembly segments in West Bengal, including the Diamond Harbour seat. The original voting for these stations took place on April 29 during the second phase of Assembly elections. Vote counting is scheduled for May 24. Nearly 90% voter turnout was recorded during re-polling held yesterday across 15 booths in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The booths included 11 in the Magrahat Paschim constituency and 4 in the Diamond Harbour seat.

The central government has decided to appoint only central government employees as counting supervisors for the West Bengal elections. Political parties are maintaining strict oversight and have prepared war rooms for the counting day. Analysts believe vote splits could lead to tighter contests and close finishes in several constituencies. Principal Secretary and Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu, Aruna Patnayak, is holding continuous review meetings with district election officials for the vote counting preparations on Monday. No specific state or further details regarding the appointment were provided in the report. The announcement specifically noted appointments from the state of Odisha. No specific names or dates for the supervision period were provided in the report. The announcement was made via the AIR Urdu Service.

The Supreme Court of India has declined to interfere with the Election Commission's decision regarding the appointment of counting supervisors for West Bengal elections. The Election Commission decided to appoint only central government employees for this role.

The Kolkata High Court has dismissed a petition filed by the Trinamool Congress. The petition challenged the appointment of central government employees to serve as supervisors in vote counting centres. The court dismissed claims of partisan bias in the counting process.