The CPI-M-led Left Front on Monday announced its first list of candidates for 192 out of 294 assembly constituencies for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. The second list for the remaining 102 constituencies is expected within three to four days.
Seeking to return to power for a fourth term, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee has placed her poll strategy on three planks.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday warned that widespread use of microwaves and induction cooktops owing to the ongoing LPG cylinder shortage could trigger frequent power outages across the state and potentially the country as summer sets in and the power infrastructure is already burdened by rising consumption thanks to ACs and other cooling appliances.
In a fresh set of directions, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the setting up of independent appellate tribunals, headed by former high court judges, to hear appeals against exclusions from voter lists during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose resigned on March 5, 2026, just weeks before the state’s Assembly elections. While Bose cited “sufficient time served” as his reason, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged the move resulted from central pressure. Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi has been named to take over the post, sparking a fresh row over federal cooperation.
A sharp exchange of words has erupted between West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal. After the CEO lectured officials on “service rules,” the Minister hit back by citing a past CBI chargesheet involving his family’s assets. Mr. Agarwal has dismissed the claims as an attempt to “give a dog a bad name and hang him,” pointing to a court acquittal and decades of transparent tax filings.
Two days after the final electoral roll under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was published in West Bengal, the Union Home Ministry on Monday (March 2, 2026) notified two more empowered committees to fast-track citizenship applications under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Under the strict oversight of the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is finalizing the list for West Bengal’s electoral future. Set for publication this Saturday, February 28, 2026, the updated roll for over 7 crore citizens will move beyond a simple list of names, instead acting as a high-stakes clearance ledger. By segregating every entry into Approved, Deleted, or Adjudication status, the Commission is effectively filtering the state’s massive voter base through a judicial sieve to resolve “trust deficits” and technical discrepancies identified during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Sumitra Chattopadhyay, a fifth-generation descendant of littérateur Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, on Thursday (February 26, 2026) joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The development comes ahead of Assembly elections in West Bengal when the BJP is highlighting the contribution of Chattopadhyay and the song Vande Mataram written by him.Mr. Chattopadhyay, a former official with the State Labour Department, was formally welcomed into the party by BJP State president Samik Bhattacharya and Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav.
