West Bengal

New Delhi, March 12; PTI/GANASHAKTI: The West Bengal governor recently wrote a report to the Prime Minister and Home Minister, which was then sent to the President warning of “potential violence” in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, said sources. 

This report, the sources said, was key in the Election Commission’s decision to spread polls in the state over seven phases.

New Delhi, Mar 12 (PTI) Expelled TMC MP Anupam Hazra joined the BJP here on Tuesday.

Hazra had won the 2014 election from Bolpur in West Bengal.

He joined the BJP at the party's headquarters here in the presence of BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.

The TMC leadership had expelled the Bolpur MP for anti-party activities on January 9.

New Delhi, Mar 8; GANASHAKTI: CPI(M) Politburo member Brinda Karat on Friday said a judicial verdict would be required in the Ayodhya case since one of the mediators has already shown his bias, hours after the Supreme Court referred the decades-old case for mediation.

"The Supreme Court has referred the Ayodhya case for mediation to a three-member committee to be monitored by the court. So far all such efforts for a resolution have failed. The court has set a time framework. Normally mediators are expected to come to a case with an objective and impartial view.

Kolkata, Mar 7 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday said the theft of Rafale files from the Union Ministry of Defence was a matter of concern and demanded an enquiry into it.

She also sought the central government's version about the theft and asked who was the 'chhuppa rustam' (hidden person) behind this act.

In a tweet in Hindi, Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, described the entire matter as 'tamasha' (farce) and hinted that its fallout would be known after the Lok Sabha elections.

Kolkata, Mar 6; PTI/GANASHAKTI: AICC president Rahul Gandhi will speak with CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury to resolve the impasse over seat-sharing between the two parties in West Bengal, Congress leaders said here Wednesday.

This comes hours after state Congress president Somen Mitra and chairman of the state coordination committee Pradip Bhattacharya met Gandhi in New Delhi and discussed the issue, among other matters.

Two Lok Sabha seats held by the CPI(M) - Raiganj and Murshidabad - have stonewalled the seat-sharing talks between the two parties.

Kolkata, Mar 3 (PTI) BJP workers clashed with the police at several places of West Bengal Sunday as the saffron party was prevented from holding its 'Vijay Sankalp' motorbike rally.

Police said they prevented the rallies as permission had not been granted to them because of the ongoing school board examinations.

The 'Vijay Sankalp' bike rally is part of the BJP's countrywide pre-poll exercise to establish contact with people.

Kolkata, Feb 28 (PTI) The widow of slain CRPF personnel Bablu Santra Thursday urged both India and Pakistan to hold talks instead of escalating tensions.

She also urged the Narendra Modi government to ensure the safe release of Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, captured by Pakistan on Wednesday.

Kolkata, Feb 26 (PTI) Miffed by the "adamant" attitude of the CPI(M)-led Left Front, the Congress is likely to go it alone in West Bengal in the Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress will take a final call on the matter in a meeting of its Election Committee slated to be held Wednesday, state Congress leaders said.

Kolkata, Feb 27 (PTI) The West Bengal government has shifted 14 Pakistani prisoners, lodged in two correctional homes here, to separate barracks and "high-security" cells, amid soaring tension between India and its western neighbour, a senior official said.

The state government's move comes days after a 50-year-old Pakistani convict was allegedly killed by fellow inmates in Rajasthan's Jaipur Central jail.

Contai (WB), Feb 23 (PTI) A 21-year-old man was allegedly burnt alive by the family members of a girl he loved in West Bengal's East Midnapur district, police said Saturday.

The family allegedly beat up Ranjit Mondal entire Friday night before pouring petrol on him and setting him on fire, police said.

Ranjit had gone to meet the girl when the incident occurred. He was a goldsmith in Delhi.

The incident came to light when the local police found out that something was burning in an open space around 3.30 am Saturday.