Bengal
Surinder Koli, the prime accused in the infamous 2006 Nithari serial killings who was acquitted by the Supreme Court in 2025, was found dead in Haridwar on September 18. The incident followed a national seminar in Visakhapatnam where senior jurists and media professionals scrutinized investigative lapses by the CBI and questioned the lack of media follow-up for the victims’ families.
In a startling turn of events, Surinder Koli, the prime accused in the 2006 Nithari serial killings who was acquitted by the Supreme Court in 2025, was found dead inside his Haridwar tea stall on September 18. The incident closely follows a national seminar in Visakhapatnam where senior jurists and experts scrutinized the press and the CBI over systemic investigative failures that denied justice to victim families.
The Election Commission of India has frozen the Trinamool Congress name and ‘Flowers & Grass’ symbol for the October 6 bypolls, assigning separate interim designations to factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy. Amid an urgent Supreme Court challenge by the party supremo, an emerging Congress-Mamata alignment has prompted the resignation of Trinamool’s Nandigram nominee.
The Calcutta High Court recently reprimanded the West Bengal government for failing to comply with a high-stakes security mandate, noting that only 8 kilometres of land has been handed over to the [Border Security Force](BSF) since January 2026.
In a major pre-election crackdown, security forces across West Bengal have arrested over 1,500 individuals ahead of the final phase of the Assembly elections, aiming to ensure a peaceful and fair voting process. The large-scale operation was carried out jointly by state police and central forces, reflecting heightened concerns over law and order in the concluding stage of polling.
In a show of regional solidarity, Arvind Kejriwal and Tejashwi Yadav descended upon Kolkata on Sunday, April 26, 2026, to campaign for Mamata Banerjee ahead of the decisive second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections. Addressing rallies in Beleghata and Jorasanko, Kejriwal framed the election as a battle for “Bengali culture and pride,” accusing the BJP of turning the state into a fortress. The visit comes at a precarious time for the AAP chief, following the defection of seven Rajya Sabha MPs—including Raghav Chadha—to the BJP just days prior. Despite the united front from the RJD and AAP, the INDIA bloc remains divided on the ground; Rahul Gandhi simultaneously launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress, accusing Banerjee’s government of “paving the way for the BJP” through corruption. With 142 seats heading to the polls on April 29, the rivalries within the opposition and the aggressive BJP push have turned Bengal into the ultimate theater of Indian politics.
Commuters on the Sealdah–Budge Budge line faced a difficult Saturday afternoon as a fire near the tracks forced an immediate halt to all train movements. With overhead power cut for safety and firefighters working on the scene, the busy railway stretch remained silent for hours. While no injuries have been reported, the incident highlights the ongoing safety challenges for rail lines passing through heavily populated urban settlements.
In a masterstroke of “street food diplomacy,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned humble Bengali snacks into the center of a national digital frenzy. After the PM sampled Jhal Muri in Jhargram and Bhabra Bhaja in Purulia, search queries for the spicy puffed rice reportedly crossed 10 crore, thrusting local delicacies into the global spotlight. Modi used the gesture to launch a rhetorical broadside against the Trinamool Congress, promising to serve these very snacks at the BJP’s “victory celebrations” on May 4. While the TMC remains uncharacteristically quiet—wary of contradicting Mamata Banerjee’s own past endorsements of the “telebhaja” economy—analysts view this culinary outreach as a powerful effort to connect with the common man, mirroring the crunch and heat of a high-decibel election trail.
24th April | Kolkata The first phase of the 2026 Assembly elections witnessed a remarkable…
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