Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government is planning to roll out reservation of seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
The deadlock over the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation continues to dominate politics in West Bengal with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership accusing the State government of “appeasement politics” on Wednesday, a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that“backwardness”wasthe only benchmark to decide OBC categories
Known to enthuse the party rank and file to a higher energitic pitch before elections, Union home minister Amit Shah’s words seemed to lack its usual fervour when he toured West Bengal recently. Indeed his public address was a departure from his earlier speeches when he set a target for the poll nominees of BJP.
The West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Tuesday (June 10, 2025) unanimously passed a “resolution conveying appreciation for the Indian armed forces”. Speaker Biman Banerjee claimed that this was the first instance of the Assembly passing a resolution in support of the armed forces after the recent conflict with Pakistan.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee conducted a high level meeting at the state secretariat to review Covid preparedness amid a surge in cases. The state has reported 747 active cases, among the highest in the country.
The earliest that simultaneous elections can be held under the existing Bills is 2034, said BJP MP and chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament on Bills relating to ‘One Nation, One Election’, P P Chaudhary.
The cabinet on Monday approved recommendations of the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes (WBCBC) to include 76 new castes on the list for OBC, an official said.
These 76 new castes would be added to the existing 64 ethnic groups on the Other Backward Class (OBC) list in the state, he said.
West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Monday (June 2, 2025) dismissed speculations over his removal from the gubernatorial post, asserting that he will move forward with renewed vigour in his quest to restore the State’s “lost reputation” and make it free from violence.
Mr. Bose, who resumed duties at the Raj Bhavan on May 29 after spending nearly a month in hospital due to a cardiac condition, said he would soon start visiting rural regions of the State, including the violence-hit areas of Murshidabad and Malda, to bring back the feeling of bonhomie among various communities.
Asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) would form a government in West Bengal after the 2026 Assembly election, Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday (June 1, 2025) said that the time of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s rule was coming to an end.
“Didi (Mamata Banerjee), your rule has come to an end. In 2026, Bharatiya Janata Party will form the government. Didi, I dare you to hold elections without violence and rigging, and the people of Bengal will ensure that you lose your deposit,” he said.
Even as it continues its more than a decade long tenure as West Bengal’s ruling dispensation, Trinamool Congress cannot be called a structured political outfit where decisions taken by consensus are made into public policies. But of late, some organisational changes are being carried out like formation of core committee which indicate a small step towards collective decision making though in reality party supremo, Mamata Banerjee the principal vote catcher continues to call the shots.
