ranaghat

In a historic electoral upset, the BJP has secured its first-ever assembly election victory in West Bengal, unseating Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after 15 years. The results, reflecting a record 92.47% voter turnout, saw the BJP's "Bhoy out, Bharosa in" slogan resonate strongly, surpassing the TMC's "Maa maati manush" narrative.

Nearly 12.9 lakh voters in West Bengal await a decision on their voting rights for Wednesday's second and final phase of polling. Names cleared by tribunals by Monday will be added to supplementary lists, but low clearance rates in the first phase raise concerns for deleted voters. Significant deletions were reported across districts like North 24 Parganas and Kolkata.

PM Modi also offered prayers at Thakurbari, the main temple of the Matua Mahasangha at Thakurnagar in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district before his poll rally in the area. His visit to the headquarters of the community, housing the shrines of the sect's founders Hari Chand and Guru Chand Thakur, is seen as an outreach to Matua voters who influence at least 34 assembly seats directly and another two dozen along the Bangladesh border.

Electoral analysts estimate that Matua voters influence outcomes in 60 to 65 assembly seats. In the second phase alone, they are a key factor in 21 constituencies. In tightly contested elections, this scale of influence gives the community leverage that political parties cannot ignore. This is evident in recent electoral trends.

Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled major BJP promises for West Bengal, including implementing Uniform Civil Code, banning triple talaq, and ending polygamy. He also pledged financial aid for women and unemployed youth, and a crackdown on cattle smuggling. Shah highlighted national security achievements and vowed to expel illegal infiltrators if the BJP wins.

Bengal's second phase of polling anticipates another massive voter turnout, potentially mirroring the first phase's unprecedented numbers. A significant factor driving this engagement appears to be the 'SIR fear factor,' where voters, concerned about being removed from electoral rolls, are going to great lengths to cast their ballots. This phenomenon is particularly evident in districts with high voter roll deletions.

Murshidabad's Shamsherganj and Lalgola constituencies saw the highest voter deletions post-adjudication, with 74,775 and 55,420 names removed respectively. This comes amidst a larger purge of 27 lakh voters across Bengal, sparking concerns and protests, particularly in Muslim-dominant and Matua-dominated areas. Electoral rolls for the second phase have been frozen, with a court review pending.

Bengal's electoral rolls are in disarray as long-time voters, including a 97-year-old Partition refugee and a retired teacher, find their names struck off. Families are battling bureaucratic hurdles and stress, with one man dying in a tribunal queue. The process has left many disenfranchised, sparking protests and accusations of political manipulation.

A professor had been receiving death threats since 28th Janurary, asking him not to take up the principal's position in ranaghat College.

A CBI special team from New Delhi is arriving at ranaghat on Monday to formally take over the probe for the March 14 gang rape of a 71-year-old nun at the Convent of Jesus and Mary.

The Calcutta High Court has acquitted the only Indian accused in the ranaghat nun rape case for lack of sufficient evidence.

A video of Kolkata's ranaghat Junction railway station is being shared widely on social media platforms with a claim that people who moved to different parts of Gujarat from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states, mostly to make a livelihood, are feeling the state in fear of being attacked by locals.