News Analysis India

Tag: West Bengal

  • Some people conspiring against Bengal, trying to defame us: Mamata

    Amid the arrests of senior party leaders in graft cases, the TMC supremo said those who have committed mistakes should be given a chance to rectify these.

  • Bengal: Onset of winter sees political temperature soaring between TMC, BJP

    By PTI

    KOLKATA:  As the cold weather approaches, the political temperature seems to be rising in Bengal amid claims and counterclaims by the opposition BJP and the ruling TMC over the stability of the Mamata Banerjee-led government.

    The month of December has assumed significance in Bengal’s political landscape over the past few months with several BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, stating on occasions that the TMC would cease to exist when the year draws to a close, an assertion that was initially rebuffed by the ruling camp.

    However, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressing concern over recent arms seizures in the state and voicing apprehension that attempts were being made to stir unrest in north Bengal, BJP’s dire warnings are now being taken seriously by some, sources in the party said.

    Demand for a separate union territory had been gaining ground in north Bengal, with several BJP leaders and local outfits asserting since last month that it was only a “matter of time.” The BJP leadership, however, has distanced itself from the remark.

    TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh alleged that it was evident from the BJP leaders’ statements that they were hatching a conspiracy to destabilize the state government.

    “The BJP had been seeking revenge one way or the other after its defeat in the last assembly polls. It is evident from their statements that they are hatching a conspiracy to destabilize the state government and create disturbances through various means. If any untoward incident happens in December, the BJP will be responsible for it,” Ghosh said.

    Echoing him, veteran TMC leader Sougata Roy said the BJP is “desperate to capture power” in West Bengal by hook or by crook.

    “The BJP is trying to create a December phobia to boost the morale of party workers. We have seen in Maharashtra and other states that the party can stoop to any level to seize power. They are fanning separatism and creating a financial blockade by stopping fund flow to the state,” Roy told PTI.READ | Some people conspiring against Bengal, trying to defame us: Mamata

    Adhikari had said in August that the TMC government will “cease to exist” by December, and assembly elections will be held in the state along with the Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

    Top BJP leaders, including state president Sukanta Majumdar, too had said that “unprecedented” political developments will occur in December. BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh, when approached, claimed that the state government is administratively and financially on a sticky wicket.

    “The way senior TMC leaders and ministers were arrested, one after another, in the last few months, shows that the entire government and the party are involved in corruption. You never know who is next. The law and order situation, too, has worsened. So we feel that the survival of the TMC government is at stake,” Ghosh stated.

    BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya feels that the state is on the verge of economic collapse.

    “The TMC is facing political instability, and the economic situation in the state is awful. The TMC leaders are at each other’s throats. The survival of this government is at stake,” he told PTI.

    CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said that both the TMC and the BJP were making attempts to “create a binary to divert attention from real issues”.

    Political analysts and economists, however, feel the situation is better than what was projected by the BJP.

    “The economic situation of any state is gauged by its debt ratio and GSDP, and those figures are not alarming. After the implementation of GST, tax collection has also improved. But at the same time, populist and welfare schemes are putting pressure on the state exchequer,” economist Ajitav Rai Chaudhuri told PTI.

    Veteran political scientist Amal Mukhopadhyay claimed that “a narrative created around a month is something unprecedented in the history of Bengal politics”.

    “Never before have we seen so much hype being created around a month. I feel it’s a hoax to keep the political cauldron boiling. At present, politics in Bengal is just about mudslinging, communal polarisation and creating a narrative to stay afloat,” Mukhopadhyay, former principal of Presidency College, added.ALSO READ | MGNREGA: West Bengal’s employment drive without Centre’s fund falls flat

    KOLKATA:  As the cold weather approaches, the political temperature seems to be rising in Bengal amid claims and counterclaims by the opposition BJP and the ruling TMC over the stability of the Mamata Banerjee-led government.

    The month of December has assumed significance in Bengal’s political landscape over the past few months with several BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, stating on occasions that the TMC would cease to exist when the year draws to a close, an assertion that was initially rebuffed by the ruling camp.

    However, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressing concern over recent arms seizures in the state and voicing apprehension that attempts were being made to stir unrest in north Bengal, BJP’s dire warnings are now being taken seriously by some, sources in the party said.

    Demand for a separate union territory had been gaining ground in north Bengal, with several BJP leaders and local outfits asserting since last month that it was only a “matter of time.” The BJP leadership, however, has distanced itself from the remark.

    TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh alleged that it was evident from the BJP leaders’ statements that they were hatching a conspiracy to destabilize the state government.

    “The BJP had been seeking revenge one way or the other after its defeat in the last assembly polls. It is evident from their statements that they are hatching a conspiracy to destabilize the state government and create disturbances through various means. If any untoward incident happens in December, the BJP will be responsible for it,” Ghosh said.

    Echoing him, veteran TMC leader Sougata Roy said the BJP is “desperate to capture power” in West Bengal by hook or by crook.

    “The BJP is trying to create a December phobia to boost the morale of party workers. We have seen in Maharashtra and other states that the party can stoop to any level to seize power. They are fanning separatism and creating a financial blockade by stopping fund flow to the state,” Roy told PTI.READ | Some people conspiring against Bengal, trying to defame us: Mamata

    Adhikari had said in August that the TMC government will “cease to exist” by December, and assembly elections will be held in the state along with the Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

    Top BJP leaders, including state president Sukanta Majumdar, too had said that “unprecedented” political developments will occur in December. BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh, when approached, claimed that the state government is administratively and financially on a sticky wicket.

    “The way senior TMC leaders and ministers were arrested, one after another, in the last few months, shows that the entire government and the party are involved in corruption. You never know who is next. The law and order situation, too, has worsened. So we feel that the survival of the TMC government is at stake,” Ghosh stated.

    BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya feels that the state is on the verge of economic collapse.

    “The TMC is facing political instability, and the economic situation in the state is awful. The TMC leaders are at each other’s throats. The survival of this government is at stake,” he told PTI.

    CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said that both the TMC and the BJP were making attempts to “create a binary to divert attention from real issues”.

    Political analysts and economists, however, feel the situation is better than what was projected by the BJP.

    “The economic situation of any state is gauged by its debt ratio and GSDP, and those figures are not alarming. After the implementation of GST, tax collection has also improved. But at the same time, populist and welfare schemes are putting pressure on the state exchequer,” economist Ajitav Rai Chaudhuri told PTI.

    Veteran political scientist Amal Mukhopadhyay claimed that “a narrative created around a month is something unprecedented in the history of Bengal politics”.

    “Never before have we seen so much hype being created around a month. I feel it’s a hoax to keep the political cauldron boiling. At present, politics in Bengal is just about mudslinging, communal polarisation and creating a narrative to stay afloat,” Mukhopadhyay, former principal of Presidency College, added.ALSO READ | MGNREGA: West Bengal’s employment drive without Centre’s fund falls flat

  • Centre alleges West Bengal government not sharing dengue data

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA: Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar on Friday said that the West Bengal government has not shared any information on dengue outbreak with the Centre, despite repeated requests.Bharati, who was in the state capital to participate in the 16th Asian Conference on Diarrhoeal Disease and Nutrition (ASCODD), said the Centre was constantly trying to guide the states in controlling the vector-borne disease but the Bengal government is not responding.

    “Our portal receives feedback from all states, but West Bengal has not shared any information on this despite our repeated requests. We have not received any information on how many dengue patients are in West Bengal, and also the number of deaths. This information must be shared with the Centre,” she said. “Without information, providing help is not possible,” she added.

    However, the West Bengal government, pointing to glitches in the Centre’s website, claimed that it has been sharing information. When asked about the minister’s allegation, state director of Health Services Siddhartha Niyogi, who was also present at the programme, said, “Even after the information is shared with the Centre, the website is updated late. The state health department has been sending information for many months.”

    According to the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases and Control’s website, West Bengal last provided dengue -related data on September 30, mentioning 239 cases and zero deaths. Sources in the state health department said that over 50 people have died and 52,000 people infected since the beginning of the outbreak this season.

    KOLKATA: Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar on Friday said that the West Bengal government has not shared any information on dengue outbreak with the Centre, despite repeated requests.
    Bharati, who was in the state capital to participate in the 16th Asian Conference on Diarrhoeal Disease and Nutrition (ASCODD), said the Centre was constantly trying to guide the states in controlling the vector-borne disease but the Bengal government is not responding.

    “Our portal receives feedback from all states, but West Bengal has not shared any information on this despite our repeated requests. We have not received any information on how many dengue patients are in West Bengal, and also the number of deaths. This information must be shared with the Centre,” she said. “Without information, providing help is not possible,” she added.

    However, the West Bengal government, pointing to glitches in the Centre’s website, claimed that it has been sharing information. When asked about the minister’s allegation, state director of Health Services Siddhartha Niyogi, who was also present at the programme, said, “Even after the information is shared with the Centre, the website is updated late. The state health department has been sending information for many months.”

    According to the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases and Control’s website, West Bengal last provided dengue -related data on September 30, mentioning 239 cases and zero deaths. Sources in the state health department said that over 50 people have died and 52,000 people infected since the beginning of the outbreak this season.

  • Bengal: 600 students register in 3rd gender category for higher secondary course

    By IANS

    KOLKATA: Around 600 students have enrolled in the third-gender category during registration for the higher secondary course in West Bengal, president of West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Examination (WBCHSE) Chiranjib Bhattacharya said on Friday.

    “The registration for the 11th standard for the current academic year had some first of its kind. This is the first time that the registration was done online. Secondly, in that online registration process, three gender options of male, female and third gender were introduced against the earlier two options of just male and female,” Bhattacharya told IANS.

    According to him, the enrolment in the third-gender category was mainly for the arts stream.

    “The enrollment for the arts stream under this gender category is roughly around 480 and the remaining are in the science and commerce category,” he confirmed.

    He also said that although he is yet to get the exact break-up of the geographical locations of the applicants on this count, his hunch is that majority of the applications were from Kolkata or its adjoining districts since the awareness and sensitization levels on this count is higher in these areas compared to the remote districts.

    Speaking on the occasion, the WBCHSE president also complimented the gesture of the educational institutions through which registration enrolment applications were forwarded.

    “This year, instead of direct enrolment by the students, the counsel introduced the system of registration through the educational institutions. So, when these educational institutions have forwarded these applications, it can be well assumed that they have necessary infrastructure like separate toilets for the third-gender people,” he added.

    When contacted, transgender rights activist and former member of the West Bengal Transgender Development Board Ranjita Sinha said that this is surely a positive development provided the right and deserving people get the facility of this third-gender option.

    “Let it not be just a gimmick for gaining political mileage, as it happened before with the community since the development board was formed where promises remained unfulfilled. Just for example, the promises for separate healthcare facilities are yet to be fulfilled. It is also to be seen that genuine third-gender community candidates are enrolled in the process,” Sinha said.

    KOLKATA: Around 600 students have enrolled in the third-gender category during registration for the higher secondary course in West Bengal, president of West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Examination (WBCHSE) Chiranjib Bhattacharya said on Friday.

    “The registration for the 11th standard for the current academic year had some first of its kind. This is the first time that the registration was done online. Secondly, in that online registration process, three gender options of male, female and third gender were introduced against the earlier two options of just male and female,” Bhattacharya told IANS.

    According to him, the enrolment in the third-gender category was mainly for the arts stream.

    “The enrollment for the arts stream under this gender category is roughly around 480 and the remaining are in the science and commerce category,” he confirmed.

    He also said that although he is yet to get the exact break-up of the geographical locations of the applicants on this count, his hunch is that majority of the applications were from Kolkata or its adjoining districts since the awareness and sensitization levels on this count is higher in these areas compared to the remote districts.

    Speaking on the occasion, the WBCHSE president also complimented the gesture of the educational institutions through which registration enrolment applications were forwarded.

    “This year, instead of direct enrolment by the students, the counsel introduced the system of registration through the educational institutions. So, when these educational institutions have forwarded these applications, it can be well assumed that they have necessary infrastructure like separate toilets for the third-gender people,” he added.

    When contacted, transgender rights activist and former member of the West Bengal Transgender Development Board Ranjita Sinha said that this is surely a positive development provided the right and deserving people get the facility of this third-gender option.

    “Let it not be just a gimmick for gaining political mileage, as it happened before with the community since the development board was formed where promises remained unfulfilled. Just for example, the promises for separate healthcare facilities are yet to be fulfilled. It is also to be seen that genuine third-gender community candidates are enrolled in the process,” Sinha said.

  • Matuas to stop trusting BJP if Citizenship Amendment Act not implemented: Community leaders

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Days after the Centre decided to grant citizenship to a section of people who came from a neighbouring country and settled in Gujarat, Matua community members in Bengal said they would ‘stop trusting the BJP’ if similar benefit was not provided to them.

    Leaders of the community said they will hit the streets if their demand for citizenship was not met with.

    “We are hopeful that citizenship will also be granted to us soon, but if that doesn’t happen, Matuas will be hitting the streets in protest,” said Mukut Moni Adhikari, a senior leader of All India Matua Mahasangha.

    Matuas, who make up for a large chunk of the state’s Scheduled Caste population, had been migrating to West Bengal from Bangladesh since the 1950s, ostensibly due to religious persecution.

    All those who migrated till March 1971 are legal citizens of India, according to the 1955 citizenship act.

    The ones who came after 1971 have to apply for naturalization after a stay of seven years, according to the provisions of the act.

    The Centre recently decided to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who left Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and settled in two districts of Gujarat, under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

    The Matuas, however, have been promised citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019.

    “We are aware that citizenship is being granted in Gujarat under 1955 Act. We want CAA 2019 to be implemented too as early as possible,” Adhikari told PTI.

    The controversial CAA, which can grant citizenship to all Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Christians who fled religious persecution from neighbouring SAARC countries, is, however, yet to be implemented in the wake of the wide-spread protests against it, especially in the northeast.

    According to the Matua leaders, community members are apprehensive about the future of the law, which is pending implementation for nearly three years.

    Adhikari, who is also a BJP MLA from the Matua-dominated Ranaghat Dakshin constituency, said he is confident that the BJP government at the Centre would keep its promise.

    “Matuas want citizenship to be given under CAA 2019, which has religious persecution as a clause. The CAA 2019, once implemented, will give Matua community its due recognition,” Adhikari said.

    However, another senior leader of Matua Mahasangha, Asim Sarkar, said the community members will no longer have faith in the BJP, as they did during 2019 Lok Sabha elections, if CAA is not implemented before 2024.

    “We think the BJP leadership will keep its poll promise of 2019. But if it is not implemented before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Matuas will stop trusting the BJP,” Sarkar, also a BJP MLA from Haringhata assembly seat, told PTI.

    “What was the need to pass a new law in 2019 if you are granting citizenship under the 1955 Act? I think there should be a clarification,” Sarkar said.

    Around 30 lakh Matuas reside in West Bengal, with the community holding sway in at least five Lok Sabha seats and nearly 40 assembly constituencies in Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas districts.

    The promise of implementing CAA was a major poll plank for the BJP in the last Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, which helped the party bag all five Matua-dominated Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and at least 29 assembly seats in 2021.

    Speaking on the issue, Union minister of state for shipping Santanu Thakur said that CAA implementation has been put on hold as several cases are pending against it.

    “There are several cases that were filed by forces who didn’t want CAA 2019 to be implemented. Once these are cleared, it is likely to get implemented,” Thakur, also a Matua leader, told PTI.

    “The 1955 act is applicable till the new act of 2019 gets implemented. Matuas won’t be deprived of citizenship,” he added.

    BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh pointed out that the BJP kept its promise “when it came to the Ram Mandir issue and Article 370” and that CAA will not be an exception.

    The ruling TMC in Bengal, however, claimed that the BJP was trying to fool Matuas with the “CAA hoax”.

    “They are trying to rake up the issue again ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” Mamatabala Thakur, a former TMC MP and the daughter-in-law of the community’s late matriarch Binapani Devi, told PTI.

    Political observers feel that implementation of CAA is unlikely in the near future as it has implications on domestic politics and also diplomatic ties.

    “The issue of CAA will be used by both the BJP and the TMC before next Lok Sabha polls as it will help them polarize voters on communal lines,” political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty added.

    KOLKATA: Days after the Centre decided to grant citizenship to a section of people who came from a neighbouring country and settled in Gujarat, Matua community members in Bengal said they would ‘stop trusting the BJP’ if similar benefit was not provided to them.

    Leaders of the community said they will hit the streets if their demand for citizenship was not met with.

    “We are hopeful that citizenship will also be granted to us soon, but if that doesn’t happen, Matuas will be hitting the streets in protest,” said Mukut Moni Adhikari, a senior leader of All India Matua Mahasangha.

    Matuas, who make up for a large chunk of the state’s Scheduled Caste population, had been migrating to West Bengal from Bangladesh since the 1950s, ostensibly due to religious persecution.

    All those who migrated till March 1971 are legal citizens of India, according to the 1955 citizenship act.

    The ones who came after 1971 have to apply for naturalization after a stay of seven years, according to the provisions of the act.

    The Centre recently decided to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who left Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and settled in two districts of Gujarat, under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

    The Matuas, however, have been promised citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019.

    “We are aware that citizenship is being granted in Gujarat under 1955 Act. We want CAA 2019 to be implemented too as early as possible,” Adhikari told PTI.

    The controversial CAA, which can grant citizenship to all Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Christians who fled religious persecution from neighbouring SAARC countries, is, however, yet to be implemented in the wake of the wide-spread protests against it, especially in the northeast.

    According to the Matua leaders, community members are apprehensive about the future of the law, which is pending implementation for nearly three years.

    Adhikari, who is also a BJP MLA from the Matua-dominated Ranaghat Dakshin constituency, said he is confident that the BJP government at the Centre would keep its promise.

    “Matuas want citizenship to be given under CAA 2019, which has religious persecution as a clause. The CAA 2019, once implemented, will give Matua community its due recognition,” Adhikari said.

    However, another senior leader of Matua Mahasangha, Asim Sarkar, said the community members will no longer have faith in the BJP, as they did during 2019 Lok Sabha elections, if CAA is not implemented before 2024.

    “We think the BJP leadership will keep its poll promise of 2019. But if it is not implemented before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Matuas will stop trusting the BJP,” Sarkar, also a BJP MLA from Haringhata assembly seat, told PTI.

    “What was the need to pass a new law in 2019 if you are granting citizenship under the 1955 Act? I think there should be a clarification,” Sarkar said.

    Around 30 lakh Matuas reside in West Bengal, with the community holding sway in at least five Lok Sabha seats and nearly 40 assembly constituencies in Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas districts.

    The promise of implementing CAA was a major poll plank for the BJP in the last Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, which helped the party bag all five Matua-dominated Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and at least 29 assembly seats in 2021.

    Speaking on the issue, Union minister of state for shipping Santanu Thakur said that CAA implementation has been put on hold as several cases are pending against it.

    “There are several cases that were filed by forces who didn’t want CAA 2019 to be implemented. Once these are cleared, it is likely to get implemented,” Thakur, also a Matua leader, told PTI.

    “The 1955 act is applicable till the new act of 2019 gets implemented. Matuas won’t be deprived of citizenship,” he added.

    BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh pointed out that the BJP kept its promise “when it came to the Ram Mandir issue and Article 370” and that CAA will not be an exception.

    The ruling TMC in Bengal, however, claimed that the BJP was trying to fool Matuas with the “CAA hoax”.

    “They are trying to rake up the issue again ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” Mamatabala Thakur, a former TMC MP and the daughter-in-law of the community’s late matriarch Binapani Devi, told PTI.

    Political observers feel that implementation of CAA is unlikely in the near future as it has implications on domestic politics and also diplomatic ties.

    “The issue of CAA will be used by both the BJP and the TMC before next Lok Sabha polls as it will help them polarize voters on communal lines,” political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty added.

  •  CPM issues directive: No pact with BJP in rural polls

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA:  Two days after a BJP MP and MLA met CPM leader Ashok Bhattacharya at his residence in Siliguri, the state leadership of West Bengal’s erstwhile ruling party issued a directive to district-level office-bearers asking them to steer clear of any official or unofficial pact with the BJP in panchayat elections scheduled next year.

    The directive is said to be a fallout of an apparent realisation in the Left party that it cannot afford to lose its supporters to the saffron camp anymore when the organisation has started gaining strength in all recent elections after the disastrous performance in the last year’s Assembly polls.

    The CPM suffered a big dent in its vote bank in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and 2021 Assembly polls resulting in BJP making inroads in the state. The Marxists have since started regaining their electoral strength securing the second position in all the elections after the last year’s Assembly polls. The party is hopeful to perform better in the rural polls next year.

    The ‘no pact’ directive reportedly follows the meeting, which both the BJP and the CPM claimed a courtesy visit, anticipating that the meeting might send out a wrong message of the saffron camp making electoral dividends at the cost of the Left’s attempt to regain strength in panchayat polls.

    “The directions have been clearly spelled out. No form of alliance with the BJP will be permitted. We will lay down a series of guidelines. The area committees will have to make decisions conforming to those guidelines,” said CPI-M state secretary and party’s politburo member Mohammad Salim.

    According to Selim, decisions related to panchayat polls such as selecting candidates or supporting some other party are normally taken by leaders and workers at the grassroots. The process of candidate selection will remain the same, the decisions will be screened by the district committees and the state committee will intervene, if necessary, he said.

    The last rural polls had seen an unofficial understanding between the Left and the BJP at the grassroots level in several areas of the state. On Tuesday, BJP’s Darjeeling MP Raju Bista and Siliguri MLA Sankar Ghosh met Bhattacharya. The timing of the meeting and Bhattacharya’s stature sparked speculation on the future equation between the CPI-M and the BJP at a time when the saffron camp is desperate to consolidate its position in North Bengal ahead of the panchayat polls.

    “The contest between the BJP and the TMC is much closer in north Bengal than in the rest of the state. Support of a leader like Bhattacharya can disrupt the ruling party’s plan in north Bengal in the panchayat elections. The visit to Bhattacharya by our elected representatives was not at all only a courtesy. It definitely has a political purpose to achieve,” said a BJP leader.

    Bhattacharya, a former state minister, was elected five times from Siliguri, but he failed to secure victory in the 2021 Assembly polls as his former aide defected to the saffron camp and contested against him.Given Bhattacharya’s political skills, the TMC is smelling conspiracy. “There is a conspiracy going on to destabilize the government, especially in north Bengal. BJP’s elected representatives from that region are demanding separate statehood and now they are trying to bring CPI-M leaders into their fold,” said TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh.

    The BJP made major gains in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by bagging seven seats out of eight in north Bengal. Though the performance was not as good as it was expected, it won 30 seats out of 54 in that region.

    Who is Ashok Bhattacharya?

     5-time Siliguri MLA since 1991
     Became a minister in Jyoti Basu’s cabinet in 1996 
     Lost in 2011 when TMC defeated Left Front
     Became chairman of Siliguri Municipal Corporation in 1987. After 2011 Assembly poll loss, he became the civic body chief in 2014 in alliance with Congress
     Made a comeback in 2016 by defeating TMC MLA RN Bhattacharya
     Known for his close proximity with Sourav Ganguly

    KOLKATA:  Two days after a BJP MP and MLA met CPM leader Ashok Bhattacharya at his residence in Siliguri, the state leadership of West Bengal’s erstwhile ruling party issued a directive to district-level office-bearers asking them to steer clear of any official or unofficial pact with the BJP in panchayat elections scheduled next year.

    The directive is said to be a fallout of an apparent realisation in the Left party that it cannot afford to lose its supporters to the saffron camp anymore when the organisation has started gaining strength in all recent elections after the disastrous performance in the last year’s Assembly polls.

    The CPM suffered a big dent in its vote bank in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and 2021 Assembly polls resulting in BJP making inroads in the state. The Marxists have since started regaining their electoral strength securing the second position in all the elections after the last year’s Assembly polls. The party is hopeful to perform better in the rural polls next year.

    The ‘no pact’ directive reportedly follows the meeting, which both the BJP and the CPM claimed a courtesy visit, anticipating that the meeting might send out a wrong message of the saffron camp making electoral dividends at the cost of the Left’s attempt to regain strength in panchayat polls.

    “The directions have been clearly spelled out. No form of alliance with the BJP will be permitted. We will lay down a series of guidelines. The area committees will have to make decisions conforming to those guidelines,” said CPI-M state secretary and party’s politburo member Mohammad Salim.

    According to Selim, decisions related to panchayat polls such as selecting candidates or supporting some other party are normally taken by leaders and workers at the grassroots. The process of candidate selection will remain the same, the decisions will be screened by the district committees and the state committee will intervene, if necessary, he said.

    The last rural polls had seen an unofficial understanding between the Left and the BJP at the grassroots level in several areas of the state. On Tuesday, BJP’s Darjeeling MP Raju Bista and Siliguri MLA Sankar Ghosh met Bhattacharya. The timing of the meeting and Bhattacharya’s stature sparked speculation on the future equation between the CPI-M and the BJP at a time when the saffron camp is desperate to consolidate its position in North Bengal ahead of the panchayat polls.

    “The contest between the BJP and the TMC is much closer in north Bengal than in the rest of the state. Support of a leader like Bhattacharya can disrupt the ruling party’s plan in north Bengal in the panchayat elections. The visit to Bhattacharya by our elected representatives was not at all only a courtesy. It definitely has a political purpose to achieve,” said a BJP leader.

    Bhattacharya, a former state minister, was elected five times from Siliguri, but he failed to secure victory in the 2021 Assembly polls as his former aide defected to the saffron camp and contested against him.
    Given Bhattacharya’s political skills, the TMC is smelling conspiracy. “There is a conspiracy going on to destabilize the government, especially in north Bengal. BJP’s elected representatives from that region are demanding separate statehood and now they are trying to bring CPI-M leaders into their fold,” said TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh.

    The BJP made major gains in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by bagging seven seats out of eight in north Bengal. Though the performance was not as good as it was expected, it won 30 seats out of 54 in that region.

    Who is Ashok Bhattacharya?

     5-time Siliguri MLA since 1991
     Became a minister in Jyoti Basu’s cabinet in 1996 
     Lost in 2011 when TMC defeated Left Front
     Became chairman of Siliguri Municipal Corporation in 1987. After 2011 Assembly poll loss, he became the civic body chief in 2014 in alliance with Congress
     Made a comeback in 2016 by defeating TMC MLA RN Bhattacharya
     Known for his close proximity with Sourav Ganguly

  • First time after poll drubbing, BJP Bengal in-charges to meet foot soldiers

    Express News Service

    RANCHI: One-and-a-half-years after the 2021 Assembly polls, BJP leaders in-charge of West Bengal are going to hold meetings with the saffron camp’s foot soldiers in districts shortly. Leaders like Sunil Bansal and Mangal Pandey will set out on districts visit from November and hold meetings with the party’s Mandal presidents and district in-charges.

    Sources in the BJP said the decision of meeting with the lower-rung functionaries was taken after the saffron camp’s high command found ‘exaggerated’ reports on party’s strength in ground reality to hide the real picture of the organisational strength.

    “Since the party’s unimpressive performance in the last year’s Assembly polls, the national leadership left the state without attending a single meeting with the grassroot level functionaries of the party fearing to face discontent. Many BJP leaders across the state expressed their discontent in public over the issue of fielding new comers as candidates in the Assembly polls before and after the electoral exercise. A large section of them turned inactive after the leadership of the party did not pay heed to their discontent,’’ said a BJP leader in Kolkata.

    The high-command of the party recently sought a feed-back about the organisational strength of the BJP ahead of the panchayat elections slated to be held next year. ‘’Based on the inputs from districts, the state committee submitted a report which was opposite to the actual picture in ground reality. For an example, the report claimed to have strong organisational set-up in booth level. But actually, we have no presence in many booths,’’ admitted the leader.

    Sources in the BJP said, Bansal and Pande started communicating with Mandal presidents and came to know about the poor strength of the party in lower level and the exaggerated report.Bansal will start holding meeting with district functionaries from November 6 and Pandey will meet Mandal in-charges from November 22. They will hear the discontent of the functionaries in districts and give them a roadmap to strengthen the organisation,’’ said another BJP leader.

    ‘Local leaders will get chance to express displeasure’

    A Mandal president said leaders like him will now get a chance to express their displeasure in front of the higher leadership. ‘’Since the last year’s Assembly elections, the party’s district activities used to be directed from the glass-house in Kolkata. This is the first time, leaders like Bansal and Pandey will be meeting us. We will highlight the real picture of the party’s strength in the grassroots,’’ he added.

    RANCHI: One-and-a-half-years after the 2021 Assembly polls, BJP leaders in-charge of West Bengal are going to hold meetings with the saffron camp’s foot soldiers in districts shortly. Leaders like Sunil Bansal and Mangal Pandey will set out on districts visit from November and hold meetings with the party’s Mandal presidents and district in-charges.

    Sources in the BJP said the decision of meeting with the lower-rung functionaries was taken after the saffron camp’s high command found ‘exaggerated’ reports on party’s strength in ground reality to hide the real picture of the organisational strength.

    “Since the party’s unimpressive performance in the last year’s Assembly polls, the national leadership left the state without attending a single meeting with the grassroot level functionaries of the party fearing to face discontent. Many BJP leaders across the state expressed their discontent in public over the issue of fielding new comers as candidates in the Assembly polls before and after the electoral exercise. A large section of them turned inactive after the leadership of the party did not pay heed to their discontent,’’ said a BJP leader in Kolkata.

    The high-command of the party recently sought a feed-back about the organisational strength of the BJP ahead of the panchayat elections slated to be held next year. ‘’Based on the inputs from districts, the state committee submitted a report which was opposite to the actual picture in ground reality. For an example, the report claimed to have strong organisational set-up in booth level. But actually, we have no presence in many booths,’’ admitted the leader.

    Sources in the BJP said, Bansal and Pande started communicating with Mandal presidents and came to know about the poor strength of the party in lower level and the exaggerated report.Bansal will start holding meeting with district functionaries from November 6 and Pandey will meet Mandal in-charges from November 22. They will hear the discontent of the functionaries in districts and give them a roadmap to strengthen the organisation,’’ said another BJP leader.

    ‘Local leaders will get chance to express displeasure’

    A Mandal president said leaders like him will now get a chance to express their displeasure in front of the higher leadership. ‘’Since the last year’s Assembly elections, the party’s district activities used to be directed from the glass-house in Kolkata. This is the first time, leaders like Bansal and Pandey will be meeting us. We will highlight the real picture of the party’s strength in the grassroots,’’ he added.

  • Cyclone ‘Sitrang’ likely to bring heavy rain, dampen Diwali cheer in Bengal

    By PTI

    kolkata: The southern districts of West Bengal, including Kolkata, woke up to light rain and an overcast sky on Monday as cyclone ‘Sitrang’ moved towards north Bay of Bengal, raising the likelihood of a downpour during the day and threatening to dampen Diwali festivities.

    The system is expected to make a landfall between Tinkona island and Sandwip in Bangladesh early on October 25, the Met department said. It lay centred around 430 km south of Sagar Island on Monday morning, the department said.

    Sitrang, which is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm, will bring in its wake heavy to very heavy rain and wind reaching speed of 90 to 100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph, in the coastal districts of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore on Monday, the weather office said.

    It will trigger heavy to very heavy rain in North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas on Tuesday, it said.

    Kolkata and the adjoining districts of Howrah and Hooghly are set to experience moderate to heavy rainfall on Monday, the Met said.

    The widespread rain, expected later in the day, is likely to cast a shadow on Diwali and Kali Puja celebrations in the state.

    In Kolkata, the wind speed could reach up to 50 kmph, affecting marquees set up for Kali puja celebrations.

    The morning rain, however, could not, dampen the spirits of devotees who turned up in droves early in the day at the popular Kali temples of Kalighat, Dakshineswar and Thanthania in Kolkata.

    The weather office said that the Sunderban region in West Bengal and Bangladesh is likely to get heavily impacted by the cyclone.

    Torrential rain, accompanied by wind gusting up to 100 kmph and high tidal waves, may damage kutcha embankments and roads and disrupt power and communication lines in the region, it said.

    The deputy director general of the regional meteorological centre here, Sanjib Bandopadhyay, has said that the breach of kutcha embankments, owing to the storm surge accompanied by high astronomical tide on new moon, may lead to sea water inundation of low-lying areas.

    Tidal waves are likely to reach a height of six metres owing to the twin effect of the weather system and astronomical tide.

    A Kolkata Municipal Corporation official said steps are being taken to tackle any situation that may emerge in the metropolis owing to Sitrang.

    “All pumping stations are fully active. People living in dilapidated buildings are being shifted to local schools or community halls,” he said.

    Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea on October 24 and 25.

    Ferry services in Sunderbans and water-bound tourist activities at seaside resort towns of Digha, Mandarmoni, Shankarpur, Bakkhali and Sagar have also been suspended as a precautionary measure.

    kolkata: The southern districts of West Bengal, including Kolkata, woke up to light rain and an overcast sky on Monday as cyclone ‘Sitrang’ moved towards north Bay of Bengal, raising the likelihood of a downpour during the day and threatening to dampen Diwali festivities.

    The system is expected to make a landfall between Tinkona island and Sandwip in Bangladesh early on October 25, the Met department said. It lay centred around 430 km south of Sagar Island on Monday morning, the department said.

    Sitrang, which is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm, will bring in its wake heavy to very heavy rain and wind reaching speed of 90 to 100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph, in the coastal districts of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore on Monday, the weather office said.

    It will trigger heavy to very heavy rain in North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas on Tuesday, it said.

    Kolkata and the adjoining districts of Howrah and Hooghly are set to experience moderate to heavy rainfall on Monday, the Met said.

    The widespread rain, expected later in the day, is likely to cast a shadow on Diwali and Kali Puja celebrations in the state.

    In Kolkata, the wind speed could reach up to 50 kmph, affecting marquees set up for Kali puja celebrations.

    The morning rain, however, could not, dampen the spirits of devotees who turned up in droves early in the day at the popular Kali temples of Kalighat, Dakshineswar and Thanthania in Kolkata.

    The weather office said that the Sunderban region in West Bengal and Bangladesh is likely to get heavily impacted by the cyclone.

    Torrential rain, accompanied by wind gusting up to 100 kmph and high tidal waves, may damage kutcha embankments and roads and disrupt power and communication lines in the region, it said.

    The deputy director general of the regional meteorological centre here, Sanjib Bandopadhyay, has said that the breach of kutcha embankments, owing to the storm surge accompanied by high astronomical tide on new moon, may lead to sea water inundation of low-lying areas.

    Tidal waves are likely to reach a height of six metres owing to the twin effect of the weather system and astronomical tide.

    A Kolkata Municipal Corporation official said steps are being taken to tackle any situation that may emerge in the metropolis owing to Sitrang.

    “All pumping stations are fully active. People living in dilapidated buildings are being shifted to local schools or community halls,” he said.

    Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea on October 24 and 25.

    Ferry services in Sunderbans and water-bound tourist activities at seaside resort towns of Digha, Mandarmoni, Shankarpur, Bakkhali and Sagar have also been suspended as a precautionary measure.

  • Heavy rain likely to pound West Bengal as cyclone ‘Sitrang’ threat looms large dampening festivities

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Heavy rain and wind gusts up to 100 kmph are likely to hit the coastal areas of West Bengal as a deep depression over Bay of Bengal intensifies into a possible cyclone by Sunday evening, dampening Kali Puja and Diwali festivities in large parts of the state.

    The IMD said the weather system, which lay 700 km south of Sagar Island on Sunday morning and is moving in a northwestward direction, is very likely to recurve in a northeastward direction and cross the Bangladesh coast between Tinkona Island and Sandwip around early morning on Monday.

    It is very likely to bring heavy to very heavy rain in coastal districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas, and heavy rainfall in East and West Midnapore on Monday, while Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly are likely to receive moderate rain on Monday and Tuesday, the Met Department said in a bulletin.

    Heavy rain will occur in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Nadia on Tuesday, it said.

    The development comes as people gear up to celebrate Kali Puja and Diwali in a big way after two years, amid easing Covid cases and curbs. The cyclone is expected to be named ‘Sitrang’, as suggested by Thailand.

    The system is likely to bring in its wake winds reaching speeds of 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph in coastal North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas on Tuesday, while speeds of 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph could be experienced on Monday in these districts along with East Midnapore, the bulletin said.

    Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly and West Midnapore are likely to be affected by winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph on Tuesday, and 30-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph on Monday.

    A Kolkata Municipal Corporation official said it has initiated steps to tackle any situation that may emerge owing to the impending cyclone in the metropolis, including keeping all pumping stations active and making arrangements for shifting residents from dilapidated buildings to local schools or community halls.

    The weather office also said wind speed over sea areas will reach 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph in north Bay of Bengal, asking fishermen not to venture into the sea.

    It advised suspension of ferry services in Sunderbans and waterbound tourist activities at seaside resort towns of Digha, Mandarmoni, Shankarpur, Bakkhali and Sagar on Monday and Tuesday.

    Meanwhile, the Odisha government said it has prepared for possible heavy rain on Monday and Tuesday, when the cyclone passes parallel to the state’s coast.

    The IMD has issued a ‘yellow’ warning for heavy rainfall (7-11cm) at one or two places over the districts of Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur and Puri till Monday morning.

    It also warned of heavy rainfall at one or two places over Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, and Cuttack from Monday morning to Tuesday morning.

    KOLKATA: Heavy rain and wind gusts up to 100 kmph are likely to hit the coastal areas of West Bengal as a deep depression over Bay of Bengal intensifies into a possible cyclone by Sunday evening, dampening Kali Puja and Diwali festivities in large parts of the state.

    The IMD said the weather system, which lay 700 km south of Sagar Island on Sunday morning and is moving in a northwestward direction, is very likely to recurve in a northeastward direction and cross the Bangladesh coast between Tinkona Island and Sandwip around early morning on Monday.

    It is very likely to bring heavy to very heavy rain in coastal districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas, and heavy rainfall in East and West Midnapore on Monday, while Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly are likely to receive moderate rain on Monday and Tuesday, the Met Department said in a bulletin.

    Heavy rain will occur in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Nadia on Tuesday, it said.

    The development comes as people gear up to celebrate Kali Puja and Diwali in a big way after two years, amid easing Covid cases and curbs. The cyclone is expected to be named ‘Sitrang’, as suggested by Thailand.

    The system is likely to bring in its wake winds reaching speeds of 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph in coastal North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas on Tuesday, while speeds of 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph could be experienced on Monday in these districts along with East Midnapore, the bulletin said.

    Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly and West Midnapore are likely to be affected by winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph on Tuesday, and 30-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph on Monday.

    A Kolkata Municipal Corporation official said it has initiated steps to tackle any situation that may emerge owing to the impending cyclone in the metropolis, including keeping all pumping stations active and making arrangements for shifting residents from dilapidated buildings to local schools or community halls.

    The weather office also said wind speed over sea areas will reach 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph in north Bay of Bengal, asking fishermen not to venture into the sea.

    It advised suspension of ferry services in Sunderbans and waterbound tourist activities at seaside resort towns of Digha, Mandarmoni, Shankarpur, Bakkhali and Sagar on Monday and Tuesday.

    Meanwhile, the Odisha government said it has prepared for possible heavy rain on Monday and Tuesday, when the cyclone passes parallel to the state’s coast.

    The IMD has issued a ‘yellow’ warning for heavy rainfall (7-11cm) at one or two places over the districts of Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur and Puri till Monday morning.

    It also warned of heavy rainfall at one or two places over Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, and Cuttack from Monday morning to Tuesday morning.

  • BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari urges Centre to check ‘illegal diversion’ of funds by WB govt

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Accusing the West Bengal government of “illegally diverting” Central funds, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, urged Union Finance minister to take appropriate steps so that the “malpractices” come to an end.

    He made the accusation in a series of tweets and also wrote a letter to the Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in this regard.

    The BJP leader in a tweet alleged that the state government had “tactfully” opened the State Nodal Account of Public Finance Management System in a private bank where the State Emergency Relief Fund Account was in operation so that Central funds could be “easily diverted”.

    “It is a can of worms waiting to be opened,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site on Thursday.

    The MLA from Nandigram requested the Union minister to “keep a tab” on the transactions of the state government and attached a copy of the letter, dated September 29, with his tweet.

    Adhikari later tweeted, “one tweet of mine and West Bengal government is out of line. A scared WB government, wary of covering their tracks, is desperate to destroy evidence.”

    Quoting a state finance department circular that the e-office server will be down for six days, he said it is nothing but an “excuse to wipe off evidence”.

    “In the guise of this downtime, West Bengal Finance Department officers would try to delete all sensitive files and notings. GOI must depute a senior level officer to keep an eye on their illegal activities, so that this corrupt WB government is caught red-handed,” he said.

    Reacting to Adhikari’s tweets, TMC spokesperson and senior Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said “Suvendu Adhikari is peddling lies and falsehood for narrow political gains.

    His allegations are concocted and meant to malign the state in every possible way.

    “The state is not diverting central funds for other purposes. Instead, West Bengal is yet to get thousands of crores of its dues from the Centre and is facing great difficulty to implement some projects.”

    KOLKATA: Accusing the West Bengal government of “illegally diverting” Central funds, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, urged Union Finance minister to take appropriate steps so that the “malpractices” come to an end.

    He made the accusation in a series of tweets and also wrote a letter to the Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in this regard.

    The BJP leader in a tweet alleged that the state government had “tactfully” opened the State Nodal Account of Public Finance Management System in a private bank where the State Emergency Relief Fund Account was in operation so that Central funds could be “easily diverted”.

    “It is a can of worms waiting to be opened,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site on Thursday.

    The MLA from Nandigram requested the Union minister to “keep a tab” on the transactions of the state government and attached a copy of the letter, dated September 29, with his tweet.

    Adhikari later tweeted, “one tweet of mine and West Bengal government is out of line. A scared WB government, wary of covering their tracks, is desperate to destroy evidence.”

    Quoting a state finance department circular that the e-office server will be down for six days, he said it is nothing but an “excuse to wipe off evidence”.

    “In the guise of this downtime, West Bengal Finance Department officers would try to delete all sensitive files and notings. GOI must depute a senior level officer to keep an eye on their illegal activities, so that this corrupt WB government is caught red-handed,” he said.

    Reacting to Adhikari’s tweets, TMC spokesperson and senior Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said “Suvendu Adhikari is peddling lies and falsehood for narrow political gains.

    His allegations are concocted and meant to malign the state in every possible way.

    “The state is not diverting central funds for other purposes. Instead, West Bengal is yet to get thousands of crores of its dues from the Centre and is facing great difficulty to implement some projects.”