West Bengal
Crucial bypoll begins in Bengal to decide Mamata's fate
The most high-profile bypoll in India is currently underway in the eastern state of West Bengal's capital Kolkata amid tight security and Covid-safety protocols.
Voting began at 7 am on Thursday for the by-election to the Bhawanipur seat in south Kolkata, where Bengal's firebrand Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting to retain her constitutional position.
Read: Bollywood singer Babul Supriyo joins Mamata's party
The by-elections to two more seats in Bengal -- Jangipur and Samserganj in Murshidabad district -- are also underway. Nearly seven lakh people are eligible to cast their ballots in the three constituencies. The results will be out on October 3.
In Bhawanipur, 66-year-old Mamata has to pull off a win to continue as Bengal CM. India's ruling and Bengal's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pitted a little-known woman lawyer against Mamata.
Though her Trinamool Congress party swept back to power in Bengal in May's assembly polls, Mamata lost her own seat in Nandigram to her protege-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari by around 2,000 votes.
Mamata has, however, challenged Suvendu's election in the Kolkata high court.
Read: Mamata to kickstart campaign for Bengal bypoll today
India's main opposition Congress, on the other hand, has not fielded any candidate against Mamata. The party's decision was announced by West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury earlier this month.
On May 2, Mamata single-handedly pulled off a landslide victory in the assembly election for the third time in a row, bucking anti-incumbency and staving off a massive challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In June, Mamata moved the high court to declare Suvendu's election win "null and void' on the grounds that he had indulged in corrupt practices and sought votes on the basis of religion.
"Suvendu Adhikari has indulged in several corrupt practices that have enhanced his winning chances and materially altered Mamata Banerjee's chances of success in the election," her petition read.
Read: Mamata slams Modi govt as nephew summoned over coal scam
In her petition, Mamata also alleged discrepancies in the counting of votes, Mamata's lawyer had said.
West Bengal had witnessed the most high-profile contest in India's recently held state elections. While Mamata harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP asked people to vote for "change and development" after 50 years of Communist and Trinamool rule.
Indian govt 'ready to probe Bengal post-poll violence'
Barely 20 days after India's top human rights body recommended a central probe into post-poll violence in the eastern state of West Bengal, the federal government on Tuesday expressed its willingness to take over the investigation.
"A federal agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is ready to probe the allegations of post-poll violence in West Bengal," India's additional solicitor general YJ Dastoor told the High Court in state capital Kolkata.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) last month made the recommendation for a federal probe in its report to a five-judge High Court bench. It was asked to investigate the allegations of post-poll violence by the same court only.
In its report, the Commission clearly accused the Bengal government of turning a blind eye to "grievous offences like murder and rape" allegedly perpetrated by members of Mamata's ruling Trinamool Congress on supporters of the state's opposition BJP.
Read: India's human rights body favours federal probe into Bengal post-poll violence
"To compound the problem, violence and intimidation has continued. There is palpable fear among victims against police and goons of the ruling party. Many displaced persons haven't yet been able to return to their homes. There have been several sexual offences," it said.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had, however, slammed the NHRC for "leaking the report" at the behest of India's ruling BJP. "The BJP is now using impartial agencies to settle political scores and malign our state," she told the media last month.
It may be mentioned here that the High Court, on July 2, came down heavily on the Bengal government for the post-poll violence in the state that claimed a number of lives. "The state is in denial mode. The administration has been caught on the wrong foot," it had said.
UNB had earlier reported about as many as 16 deaths in post-poll violence in Bengal, which prompted the Indian Home Ministry to seek a report from the state administration.
In fact, on May 6, a day after she was sworn in as the chief minister of Bengal for the third time, Mamata announced a compensation of Rs two lakh each for the families of 16 people killed in post-poll violence in the state.
Read: High Court raps Bengal govt again for post-poll violence
"At least 16 people -- mostly from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool -- died in post-poll violence. We will pay a compensation of Rs two lakh to their family members," she had said.
Appealing for calm, Mamata had also asked her supporters not to indulge in any violence. "Bengal is a peace-loving place. During the elections, there has been some heat and dust and calm. The BJP did a lot of torture. But I appeal to all for calm."
Bucking anti-incumbency, Mamata scripted history on May 2 by single-handedly pulling off an astounding victory in the assembly election, staving off a massive challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling BJP but also decimated the Left Front.
Bengal had witnessed the most high-profile contest in India's recently held state elections. While Mamata harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP asked people to vote for "change and socio-economic development" after 50 years of Communist and Trinamool rule.
Mega Cabinet rejig on the cards of Modi govt?
A mega Cabinet expansion is on the cards of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government ahead of next year's crucial assembly polls in five Indian states and the 2024 general election.
Though there has been no official word on the possible Cabinet rejig, UNB has learnt that as many as 28 new faces, including a few from West Bengal, could be inducted into the Council of Ministers this month.
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Modi's Cabinet currently has 53 Ministers. This would be the first Cabinet expansion since his nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept back to power in 2019 general election, decimating the opposition Congress.
In fact, the names of at least three BJP leaders from the eastern state of Bengal -- Jagannath Sarkar, Shantanu Thakur and N Pramanik -- are doing the rounds. Bengal shares its border with Bangladesh.
Modi's nationalist party lost badly to firebrand Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress in April-May's polls in Bengal. Mamata bucked anti-incumbency to pull off a landslide victory in the polls.
Bengal had witnessed the most high-profile contest in India's recently held state polls. While Mamata harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP asked people to vote for "change and socio-economic development".
Read:Two back-to-back blasts rock Indian Air Force station
UNB has also learnt that former Congress lawmaker Jyotiraditya Scindia and former Chief Minister of northeastern state of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, are likely to be part of the Cabinet expansion.
Scindia, who served as a minister in the previous Congress-led federal government,defected to the BJP last year and helped the saffron outfit reclaim its bastion in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.
Sonowal, on the other hand, made way for his deputy Himanta Biswa Sarma as Assam Chief Minister after the BJP swept to power for the second time in a row in the recently concluded assembly polls in the state.
Others who could be part of the Cabinet rejig are former deputy chief minister of the eastern Indian state of Bihar, Sushil Modi, and former chief minister of the western state of Maharashtra, Narayan Rane.
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Nine serving Ministers in the Modi Cabinet, including Piyush Goyal and Smriti Irani, who currently hold additional portfolios, may have to relinquish the extra ministries to make way for the new faces, sources said.
"Five Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh in the north, are to go to polls next year. It's said that the party which wins Uttar Pradesh gets India. This is because the state has 80 parliamentary seats," said Rama Sharma, a Delhi-based political analyst.
Bengal's ruling party makes Mamata's nephew second-in-command
Indian state of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Saturday elevated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek to the party's second-highest post, putting an end to speculation over the future role of her heir apparent.
Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee was made the General Secretary at the regional party's first organisational meet since it swept back to power in the last month's assembly elections in the state. This was announced by the Trinamool Congress in a statement to the media.
The 33-year-old youth leader joined politics as a member of the Trinamool Congress in 2011 after the party decimated the Left Front, a coalition of Communist parties, that ruled Bengal for 34 years. This year, Abhishek was instrumental in hiring poll strategist Prashant Kishor.
Also read: India: Mamata inducts 43 Ministers into her Cabinet
Last month, Mamata scripted history by single handedly pulling off an astounding victory in the assembly election. She not only defied anti-incumbency and staved off a huge challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling BJP.
Though her party swept back to power with a resounding majority of 213 seats in the 292-member assembly, the 66-year-old lost her own seat in Nandigram to her former protege-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari by a thin margin of around 2,000 votes.
"This is Bangla's win... this is Bengal's win... this is your win. This win has saved Bengal, it has saved the culture and tradition of Bengal," she said, addressing a press meet on the counting day.
Also read: Game over: How an injured Mamata won against a fully fit saffron squad
Mamata had, however, made it clear in that presser only that she would challenge the result in a court of law. "How come the Election Commission reversed the results in Nandigram after formally announcing it? We will move court."
The BJP though has made major gains in Bengal, winning some 77 seats. In 2016, the party had just three legislators in the state. However, the Left Front has failed to grab a single seat this time. The Left Front ruled Bengal for 34 years -- from 1977 to 2011.
Bengal witnessed the most high-profile contest in India's recently held state elections. While Mamata harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP asked people to vote for "change and socio-economic development" after 50 years of Communist and Trinamool Congress rule.
Cyclone Yaas: 2 deaths reported in Bangladesh, 5 in India
At least two deaths were reported Wednesday in Bangladesh and five in India as Cyclone Yaas triggered storms and floods.
Reports sent by UNB correspondents indicate that dozens of houses have been damaged and low-lying areas inundated, cutting off road communication in some areas.
In Bhola, a man was killed after being hit by a falling tree branch during a storm triggered by Yaas in Lalmohan upazila of Bhola on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Abu Taher, 48, a local farmer. Bhola Deputy Commissioner Md Tawfiq-E-Lahi Chowdhury said Tk 20,000 has been provided to Taher’s family as assistance.
Bhola has been seeing drizzles and strong wind since Wednesday morning. Cyclone Yaas has made landfall in India’s Odisha.
Also read: 5 killed, damages incurred as cyclone Yaas completes landfall in eastern India
Child drowns in Bagerhat
Meanwhile, four-year-old Jinia died this afternoon after drowning near her house in Morrelganj upazila of Bagerhat.
Morrelganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Delwar Hossain said that the roads and drains of the Upazila have been inundated due to an unusual increase in the water level of Panguchi River.
Jinia fell into the overflowing drain and drowned, he said.
Meanwhile, at least 5,000 families in Sarankhola, Morrelganj and Mongla upazilas have been stranded today as water level in the rivers adjacent to these places have gone up due to the impact of Cyclone Yaas.
Besides, an embankment in Mongla was damaged at three places due to excessive tidal pressure leaving at least 500 families stranded in Kainmari, Sundartala, Kaltala, Jaymoni and South Kaimari villages of the upazila on Wednesday afternoon.
Also read: Cyclone Yaas: 2 reported dead in Bangladesh
Low-lying areas inundated in Khulna
Low-lying areas in Koyra, Dacope and Paikgachha upazilas of Khulna were inundated by tidal surge triggered by Cyclone Yaas.
The residents of the upazilas have been experiencing light rains or drizzles since Wednesday noon and the local administration has opened over 1,000 cyclone shelters.
The local Met Office, meanwhile, recorded 21mm rainfall in the past two days.
5 killed, damages incurred as cyclone Yaas completes landfall in eastern India
Five people were killed on Wednesday after cyclonic storm Yaas hit the coastal area of the eastern Indian states of West Bengal and Odisha, local media reported.
The cyclone made landfall with marginally lower intensity with a wind speed of 130-140 km/ph.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone has completed landfall and is likely to move north-northwestwards and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm during the next six hours.
Officials said the high tidal waves breached embankments in West Bengal and Odisha coast, with a total of five deaths reported in the two states on Wednesday.
In West Bengal, a youth who had moved to a cyclone shelter in the locality had come out of the shelter in Ramnagar 2 block of East Midnapore when the storm hit and he was drowned, local media reportd said.
Two other people are reported to be killed in the coastal town of Digha in West Bengal, with one of them dying in a building collapse and another dragged out to sea, the state's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.
In the state of Odisha, two deaths have occurred.
"One person was killed in Panchapalli village of Keonjhar district in Odisha after a tree fell on him, while the body of a 15-year-old boy was found in a pond at Jagannath Khunta village in Mayurbhanj district," media reports quoted local officials as having said.
On Tuesday night two people were also electrocuted in West Bengal's Hooghly district during a tornado ahead of the cyclone.
Besides, damages have been reported in both states. Around 20,000 mud houses and temporary shelters were either destroyed or damaged, as seawater entered residential areas and inundated low-lying areas in Digha of West Bengal.
In Odisha, trees have been uprooted in Bhadrak district and some areas have been flooded. The local government has warned people to stay indoors as heavy rains are likely to continue.
Authorities of Odisha have shifted over half a million people from low-lying areas, while as in West Bengal around 1.15 million people were evacuated from the coastal areas and shifted to rescue shelters.
Chief ministers of both states are continuously monitoring the situation and holding review meetings with the disaster management officials.
India's federal government has alerted navy teams and the air force to assist the local governments in relief and rescue operations.
Meanwhile, 115 teams of India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the affected areas to clear roads of fallen trees and evacuate people from coastal villages and towns.
Last week cyclone Tauktae wreaked havoc in India's coastal areas, killing many people in Karnataka, Goa and Kerala Maharashtra. At least 70 people were also killed after barge P305 sank off Mumbai due to the cyclone.
Severe cyclonic storm Yaas weakens after hitting Odisha, WB coast
Sever Cyclonic Storm Yaas which intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm over Northwest Bay and adjoining area completed crossing North Odisha-West Bengal coast between North of Dhamra & South of Balasore by 3pm on Wednesday.
Then it weakened into a severe cyclonic storm and now lies over coastal North Odisha, said a bulletin of Bangladesh Metrological Department.
Also read: Cyclone Yaas makes landfall in eastern India
It may move north-northwestwards further over land and weakened gradually, it added.
The met office forecast rain/thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty/squally wind at most places over Khulna, Barishal, Dhaka, Rajshahi, Rangpur & Chattogram divisions and at many places over Mymensingh & Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country.
Also read: Cyclone 'Yaas': 1 killed, low-lying areas inundated in Bhola
Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged and night temperature may fall slightly over the country, it added.
How Cyclone Yaas was named
As Bangladesh, along with West Bengal and Odhisa, braces for Cyclone Yaas here is how the cyclone was named so, how and why.
The cyclone names are given by countries in the region on a rotation basis.
The name ‘Yaas’, has been given by Oman, in accordance with a standard procedure.
The word Yaas is believed to have originated from the Persian language and it means Jasmin in English.
Read:Cyclone Yaas: Maritime ports in Bangladesh asked to hoist signal No 2
The practice of naming tropical cyclones started years ago. The countries in the Northern Indian Ocean region began it in 2000. The names are listed alphabetically country-wise, and are neutral gender wise, according to an article in public.wmo.int.
In the Atlantic and in the Southern hemisphere (Indian ocean and South Pacific), tropical cyclones receive names in alphabetical order, and women and men’s names are alternated.
It was done for quick identification of the cyclones in weather warning messages. It is also said to be easier for the media to use it in reports. Such names also increases community interest and helps better preparedness, said the article.
Cash-for-favours scam: Two top Bengal Ministers to stay in jail
The High Court in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata on Wednesday refused to grant interim bail to two high-ranking ministers in the West Bengal government and two other politicians arrested by the country's top federal probe agency in connection with a high-profile cash-for-favours scam.
The four politicians -- serving ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, and former ministers Madan Mitra and Sovan Chatterjee -- were sent to jail on Monday after the High Court, in a late-night order, stayed their bail granted by a special court. They were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation for their alleged role in the Narada tapes scandal.
In a related development, the federal probe agency has made Bengal's firebrand woman Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her law minister Moloy Ghatak and her ruling Trinamool Congress party's parliamentarian Kalyan Banerjee in the Narada bribery case and sought the transfer of the hearing to another state.
"A bench of the High Court, led by the acting chief justice, has turned down the bail pleas of all the four politicians as well as the prayer of the federal investigators seeking the remand of the accused for custodial interrogation. The court will hear the case again on Thursday," lawyer Sushanto Roy told UNB over the phone from Kolkata.
On Monday, high drama unfolded in Kolkata as Mamata staged a five-hour dharna outside the office of the federal probe agency in protest against the "illegal" arrest of her two senior ministers in the Narada tapes scandal case. She had told the media that the state assembly speaker didn't give his mandatory consent to the arrest of the two Ministers.
While Firhad and Subrata are Urban Development and Panchayati Raj Ministers, respectively, Madan is a legislator of Mamata's ruling Trinamool Congress party. Sovan, on the other hand, is Kolkata's former Mayor. He left the Trinamool in 2019 to join India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, but quit the outfit before the assembly polls.
The two serving and two former Ministers were arrested barely 10 days after Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar approved the CBI's plea to prosecute the four accused in the Narada tapes scandal.
The Governor then claimed that his approval "is more than enough" for the arrest of the accused as he had presided over their swearing-in ceremony. "Governor accorded sanction for prosecution... being the appointing authority of ministers @MamataOfficial under article 164 and thus competent authority," he tweeted on May 9.
The Narada scandal was a sting operation carried out by a journalist that caught on tape several ministers and senior officials of the erstwhile Mamata government accepting cash bribes in exchange for doling out unofficial favours to a private firm looking to set up business in Bengal.
Earlier this month, Mamata scripted history by single handedly pulling off an astounding victory in the assembly election. She not only defied anti-incumbency and staved off a huge challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling BJP, but also decimated the Left Front. However, the 66-year-old lost her own seat in Nandigram.
Bengal witnessed the most high-profile contest in India's recently held state elections. While Mamata harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP asked people to vote for "change and socio-economic development" after 50 years of Communist and Trinamool Congress rule.
Two top Bengal Ministers sent to jail in cash-for-favours scam
Call it a twist of fate. The High Court in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata on Monday night stayed the bail of two top ministers in the West Bengal government and two other politicians in a high-profile cash-for-favours scam.
The four politicians -- serving ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, and former ministers Madan Mitra and Sovan Chatterjee -- were granted bail by a special court in the evening, more than seven hours after they were arrested by the country's top federal investigative agency for their alleged role in the Narada tapes scandal.
"But the High Court stayed the bail of the four politicians after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenged the order of the special court. Firhad, Subrata, Madan and Sovan have been sent to jail custody. The court will hear the case on Wednesday," lawyer Sushanto Roy said.
"The CBI has also demanded that the trial in the case be transferred to another state," he told UNB over the phone from Kolkata.
Earlier in the day, high drama unfolded in Kolkata as Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee staged a five-hour dharna outside the CBI office in protest against the "illegal" arrest of her two senior ministers for their alleged role in the Narada tapes scandal.
She also dared the CBI slueths to arrest her in the case as hundreds of her supporters thronged the federal probe agency's office and threw stones at the central security forces guarding the premises.
"The way they have been arrested without due procedure, the CBI will have to arrest me also," she said, indicating that the state assembly speaker didn't give his mandatory consent to the arrest of the two Ministers.
In fact, all the four accused were picked up by the CBI and the federal security forces from their houses in the morning.
While Firhad and Subrata are Urban Development and Panchayati Raj Ministers, respectively, Madan is a legislator of Mamata's ruling Trinamool Congress party. Sovan, on the other hand, is Kolkata's former Mayor. He left the Trinamool in 2019 to join India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, but quit the outfit before the assembly polls.
The two serving and two former Ministers were arrested barely 10 days after Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar approved the CBI's plea to prosecute the four accused in the Narada tapes scandal.
Also read: Two top Bengal Ministers get bail in cash-for-favours scam
The Governor then claimed that his approval "is more than enough" for the arrest of the accused as he had presided over their swearing-in ceremony. "Governor accorded sanction for prosecution... being the appointing authority of ministers @MamataOfficial under article 164 and thus competent authority," he tweeted on May 9.
The Narada scandal was a sting operation carried out by a journalist that caught on tape several ministers and senior officials of the erstwhile Mamata government accepting cash bribes in exchange for doling out unofficial favours to a private firm looking to set up business in Bengal.
Earlier this month, Mamata scripted history by single handedly pulling off an astounding victory in the assembly election. She not only defied anti-incumbency and staved off a huge challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling BJP, but also decimated the Left Front.
Though her party swept back to power with a resounding majority of 213 seats in the 292-member assembly, the 66-year-old lost her own seat in Nandigram to her former protege-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari by a thin margin of around 2,000 votes.
"This is Bangla's win... this is Bengal's win... this is your win. This win has saved Bengal, it has saved the culture and tradition of Bengal," she said, addressing a press meet on the counting day. Mamata had, however, made it clear in that presser only that she would challenge the result in a court of law. "How come the Election Commission reversed the results in Nandigram after formally announcing it? We will move court."
The BJP though has made major gains in Bengal, winning some 77 seats. In 2016, the party had just three legislators in the state. However, the Left Front has failed to grab a single seat this time. The Left Front ruled Bengal for 34 years -- from 1977 to 2011.
Bengal witnessed the most high-profile contest in India's recently held state elections. While Mamata harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP asked people to vote for "change and socio-economic development" after 50 years of Communist and Trinamool Congress rule.