Politics
Legal troubles have intensified for AISA national president Neha Bora after a Supreme Court advocate filed a formal police complaint in New Delhi seeking an FIR for outraging religious sentiments and defaming temples. The complaint follows a viral video in which Bora claimed priests commit rapes inside temples, drawing severe condemnation from the BJP for promoting an ‘anti-Hindu mindset’ and a sharp personal rebuttal from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi against radical generalizations.
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 Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the principal winner in the biennial Legislative Council elections, capturing 13 of 28 Graduate and Teacher seats across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. While the BJP maintained dominance in Western UP and swept three seats in Karnataka, the Samajwadi Party scored key urban victories by retaining both Varanasi seats, the ruling Congress drew a complete blank in Karnataka, and Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party opened its account in Bihar’s Upper House by defeating Congress veteran Madan Mohan Jha in Darbhanga.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that 64 of the 80 MLAs elected on Trinamool Congress tickets would back the ruling BJP in a floor test, taking the government’s effective strength to 275 in the 294-member Assembly. The claim triggered sharp backlash from Mamata Banerjee loyalists, who labeled the rebel Democratic Trinamool Congress faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee as ‘BJP agents’, while the CPI(M) called for judicial intervention to challenge the rebel leader’s recognition as Leader of the Opposition.
Simmering resentment has surfaced within the West Bengal BJP following the nomination of former Trinamool Congress MP and actor Koel Mallick for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-election. Accompanied by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and state president Samik Bhattacharya during her filing, Mallick’s swift induction has faced fierce pushback from party old-timers who label her a political opportunist, even as the state leadership justifies the choice on the grounds of legislative realpolitik and Upper House strength.
Veteran actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty has been appointed as an Advisor to the Government of West Bengal with the rank of a Cabinet Minister in the Information and Cultural Affairs Department. Announced by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari during the Uttam Kumar centenary celebrations, the appointment entrusts the three-time National Award-winning star with guiding the state’s cultural initiatives, film festival curation, and tourism development.
Breaking from its conventional non-aligned stance, Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal joined INDIA bloc MPs in a protest march in New Delhi on Tuesday demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Led by Rajya Sabha leader Manas Mangaraj, the BJD flagged the disenfranchisement of 20 lakh voters in Odisha and over 13 crore nationwide under the Special Intensive Revision, citing unauthorized voter deletions in Dhamnagar and apex court observations on Form 6 modifications.
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke launched a sharp attack against the Election Commission in Pune, alleging that the BJP’s recent electoral gains outside traditional strongholds stem from institutional manipulation under CEC Gyanesh Kumar rather than popular mandates. Backing protesting MPSC students over examination leaks, Dipke called for the resignation of both the CEC and the MPSC chairman, even as the ECI dismissed reports of internal dissent over the ongoing SIR exercise.
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.
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