Bengal
Confronting an existential crisis under the ruling BJP in West Bengal, Left parties are set to contest the upcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections as a unified bloc, bringing non-Left Front allies like SUCI(C) and CPI(ML) Liberation on board. Driven by a delimitation exercise that expanded KMC wards from 144 to 209 and recent clashes over Left book stalls, the CPI(M) has set aside its historical ‘big brother’ approach to share seats and build a wider resistance against the saffron camp.
The West Bengal government has officially notified a policy granting Group D government jobs to the next of kin of people killed in political violence from 2001 onwards. Announced by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at Garbeta and formally notified by Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal on November 1, the scheme extends compassionate appointments to spouses, children (including third-gender), or siblings of unmarried victims whose family income does not exceed ₹50,000 a month, with applications to be screened by district magistrate and police committees.
A catastrophic Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in upper Bhutan has triggered red alerts across North Bengal, prompting the emergency evacuation of over 10,000 people in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts. With the Sankosh and Mo Chhu rivers receiving millions of cubic meters of sudden discharge, the West Bengal administration has deployed NDRF and SDRF rescue squads, opened relief camps in school buildings, and initiated widespread public warnings to prevent loss of life across vulnerable tea garden belts.
Following its assembly victory in West Bengal, the BJP has rolled out a major youth engagement initiative titled ‘Yuba Bharat Sankalp’, led by party National President Nitin Nabin and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Addressing 500 young professionals from law, management, and research in Kolkata, Nabin advocated for syllabus reforms emphasizing culture and sports while opening direct administrative dialogue channels to consolidate youth support.
The Calcutta High Court has granted interim bail until October 20 to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan for the upcoming Nandigram Assembly by-election. Questioning the timing of his arrest in connection with 2007 murder cases immediately after filing his nomination, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh noted that the relief ensures a level playing field during campaigning, subject to strict verification conditions and surrender on October 21.
A group of 24 students from the Scout & Guide Group of Howrah Modern School visited the Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya in Barrackpore on September 26, 2026. The educational excursion included a guided tour of the museum’s galleries on Mahatma Gandhi and an audio-visual documentary screening on the Indian independence movement.
Setting aside decades of fierce regional hostility, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has signaled readiness to cooperate with the CPI(M) and Congress on national platforms ahead of a crucial INDIA bloc meeting on September 30. Speaking in Serampore following an attack on MLA Kunal Ghosh’s vehicle in Hooghly, Banerjee called for a unified front to seek the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged mass electoral roll deletions.
The President of India has returned West Bengal’s ‘Anti-Goonda’ Bill for reconsideration after the Centre flagged statutory repugnancy under Article 254 with the Central NDPS Act, 1985. The development follows admissions before the Calcutta High Court that the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026 remains unpromulgated, contradicting government claims that the law was already in active enforcement.
Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, Barrackpore took India’s freedom history beyond traditional gallery walls on September 21, hosting a travelling exhibition titled ‘Mohan to Mahatma’ at Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Government College in Rajarhat New Town. Featuring rare letters, charkha replicas, a documentary on Barrackpore’s colonial role, and an interactive quiz, the initiative connected the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi with students and young scholars.
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