West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari dissolved the Police Welfare Board after an administrative review in Diamond Harbour, saying it had drifted from its intended purpose into what he described as a party’s frontal organisation. He pledged zero tolerance for attacks on police and promised strict enforcement of law and order. Adhikari also announced priority postings for women police in their home districts and urged immediate action against extortion by auto and e-rickshaw operators, asking residents to file specific complaints.
Senior BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty on Saturday hailed Suvendu Adhikari as “the best chief minister West Bengal can have” after Adhikari visited his New Town residence and met for nearly an hour. Adhikari then began his first district tour, starting with Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas. Chakraborty said Adhikari had already started “working from day one” and promised “real changes.” The CM-designate later said he sought Chakraborty’s blessings, though they would not share the roadmap discussed. The timing is politically loaded ahead of upcoming polls.
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With Falta set for re-election on May 21 and results due May 24, West Bengal politics is heating up. Local police arrested Saidul Khan, a Trinamool Congress leader and vice-president of the Falta Panchayat Samiti, linking him to charges of attempted murder and inciting political violence after a Friday night raid. The move comes as the BJP now governs the state after ousting the TMC, and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to campaign ahead of the vote.
West Bengal has ordered district administrations to re-verify caste certificates issued since 2011, including those distributed through the Duare Sarkar outreach camps. The backward classes welfare department’s directive covers about 1.69 crore certificates over 15 years: roughly 1 crore for Scheduled Castes, 21 lakh for Scheduled Tribes, and 48 lakh for Other Backward Classes. Authorities say doubts have emerged over the authenticity of some certificates and warn of strict penalties for improper issuance. The state is also re-scrutinizing certificates tied to names removed from electoral rolls during the recent SIR exercise.
After TMC’s sharp defeat in West Bengal’s assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee met contesting candidates at her Kalighat residence and urged them to rebuild the party. She said anyone who wants to quit for other parties should leave, pledging she will revive TMC “afresh.” The message came as speculation of defections grew and the party shifted to opposition. TMC won 80 seats out of 294 total, with 211 candidates losing, and Banerjee herself defeated in Bhabanipur.
Tensions flared in Asansol, West Bengal, after police allegedly came under attack during an awareness campaign on loudspeaker regulations. Personnel from the Jahangiri Mohalla outpost visited localities to convey administrative guidance on high-volume loudspeakers at religious places, followed by meetings across areas. Trouble reportedly began when a large crowd gathered near the police outpost, leading to stone-pelting and vandalism that damaged vehicles and property. Police used a lathi-charge, while additional forces deployed and investigations are underway.
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West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has resigned from the Nandigram assembly seat, formally stepping away from the constituency he represented. Despite this move, he will continue to hold the Bhabanipur constituency, maintaining his legislative presence there. The resignation immediately raises questions over what happens next for Nandigram, including whether a by-election will be required and how the political contest in the area could reshape alliances and voter sentiment in the run-up to future elections.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the suspension of two senior officials at Presidency Central Correctional Home after a surprise raid uncovered 23 mobile phones. The crackdown, led by the state police’s Correctional Services directorate with Kolkata Police, lasted about four hours and resulted in a CID probe to identify SIM-card users and examine call records. Adhikari warned that criminals are running networks from jail and hinted prior government involvement, adding similar operations will follow across the state.
Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Agnimitra Paul said Friday that authorities will strictly enforce rules on public street activities to ensure no inconvenience to citizens. She stressed the crackdown is religion-neutral, warning that loud microphones disturb elderly people, students, and even animals. Paul also outlined steps to identify illegal commercial structures lacking key approvals and to prepare for monsoon-related waterlogging and dengue. An app is planned for residents to report littering with geo-tagged photos for rapid cleanup.
West Bengal’s Assembly will begin its budget session on June 18, with the full state budget scheduled for June 22 by a newly appointed finance minister. Speaker Rathindra Bose said preparations are already underway after instructions from Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to departmental secretaries. The interim vote on account was presented earlier by Chandrima Bhattacharya, but elections delayed the full budget. Adhikari also announced “Janatar Darbar” from June 1, alongside an emphasis on constructive opposition.
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West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari suspended three IPS officers tied to the RG Kar rape and murder case, including former Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyel, as well as Indira Mukherjee and Abhishek Gupta. The CM said departmental proceedings will begin against the suspended officers, while the CBI will conduct the main investigation. Adhikari pointed to a fact-finding exercise alleging mishandling of the case, improper FIR filing, and even financial offerings of cash and media-facing statements.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the assembly’s proceedings will now be telecast live so people can see what happens inside the House. Speaking after the election of the newly constituted 18th assembly, he said the legislature will work under constitutional principles and established rules. Adhikari also highlighted the need for a strong opposition, linking the move to greater transparency in the legislative process and the fulfillment of public aspirations. BJP MLA Rathindra Bose was elected unopposed as Speaker.
BJP MLA Rathindra Bose was elected unopposed as Speaker of the West Bengal assembly on Friday, making history as the first legislator from North Bengal to hold the post. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari proposed his name, and pro tem Speaker Tapas Roy conducted a voice vote as support came from all 207 BJP MLAs. With the TMC choosing not to field a nominee, the result was settled without a contest, seen as a political signal to the region.
Transport operators in West Bengal warn that recent fuel price hikes could push overall freight costs up by about 3%. They cite sharp increases in petrol and diesel prices across major metros, with Kolkata seeing the steepest rise. Operators say the impact on transport expenses will be smaller but urge the government to stop traders from raising product prices unfairly. They also want state governments to cut local levies, estimating an added daily burden of Rs 50-60 for truckers.
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West Bengal’s Suvendu Adhikari government has tightened rules on animal slaughter by enforcing strict compliance with the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950. An order bans slaughter in any open public place and makes violations punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a ₹1,000 fine. It also requires a fitness certificate for slaughter, issued through joint municipal or panchayat and veterinary approval under specific conditions. Police crackdowns will target illegal cattle markets and unauthorized slaughterhouses, alongside steps on excessive loudspeaker use at religious events.
Kolkata Deputy Commissioner of Police Shantanu Sinha Biswas has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged extortion racket. Reports say the ED had faced months of legal hurdles and repeated non-appearance, leading to a lookout notice. He later showed up for questioning after the BJP toppled the Mamata government in West Bengal. The ED alleges his responses raised concerns, saying he concealed facts and failed to cooperate, with claims of collusion involving criminal ‘Sona Pappu’ and businessman Jai Kamdar.
Days after Chandranath Rath, Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant, was shot at point-blank range in Madhyamgram, investigators say a UPI payment made at a Bally toll booth by the car that tailed his SUV could help lead to arrests. CCTV tracking identified a Nissan Micra that blocked the Scorpio, followed by escape in a red car and a bike. Preliminary findings suggest the vehicles were stolen, with fake number plates and possible shooters brought from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Days after taking office, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari approved CBI investigations into three recruitment-related cases that he said were stuck under the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government. The biggest involves the teachers’ recruitment scam, alleging a “merit-for-cash” system that sidelined qualified applicants in favor of bribe-paying candidates between 2014 and 2021. Two more probes follow: a municipality recruitment scam affecting hiring across urban local bodies and a cooperative bank scam.
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West Bengal has rolled out new guidelines tightening controls on animal slaughter. Authorities now require animals to have a “fit certificate” before they can be slaughtered, and slaughter in public places is prohibited. The rules, aligned with court directions and existing laws, provide for penalties including imprisonment and fines to curb illegal and inhumane practices.
Two online content creators were arrested in Dinhata, West Bengal, after complaints that they posted an offensive viral video targeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Police said the allegations involve derogatory language shared on the duo’s social media platform. The arrests came after authorities received reports of the post, and an investigation is still underway.
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