Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead on Wednesday night in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. in the Madhyamgram area when Rath was returning by car from Doharia. Eyewitnesses said a group of assailants on motorcycles stopped his vehicle and fired multiple shots at close range, hitting him in the chest.

Rath was rushed to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared him dead. The car’s driver was also shot and later transferred to another private hospital in Madhyamgram due to his critical condition. According to available information, Rath had previously served in the Indian Air Force and, after retirement, became a close aide to Suvendu Adhikari. He had recently been active in election campaigning.

Authorities have not released further details about the attackers or the motive behind the shooting.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reaffirmed on Wednesday, May 6, that she will not resign from her post. Speaking at a meeting with her party’s legislators, she declared that she would rather be dismissed and called for such a day to be marked as a black day. According to NDTV, Banerjee also announced plans to approach the court seeking justice over incidents of post-election violence. She had earlier alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won through manipulation following the May 4 election results.

Her refusal to resign has created a constitutional complication, as it is customary for a chief minister to step down after elections so the majority party can form a new government. The situation has led to discussions about the possibility of her dismissal or the imposition of presidential rule in the state.

Meanwhile, reports of violence have emerged across West Bengal, with allegations that BJP supporters attacked and set fire to homes and offices of Trinamool Congress members. At least four people have reportedly died. The BJP has denied involvement, claiming that Trinamool workers disguised as BJP supporters carried out the attacks to create unrest.

Widespread violence has erupted across West Bengal following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) victory in the state assembly elections. Within hours of the May 4 results, clashes broke out in Kolkata and other districts, leaving at least four people dead and many injured. Reports describe streets filled with BJP flags and slogans, while residents in some areas have been forced to display party symbols to avoid attacks. Minority-dominated neighborhoods such as Metiabruz, Maheshtala, Tiljala, and Topsia have become flashpoints of unrest.

In Entally, local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Tabrez Khan switched allegiance to the BJP overnight, citing fear for his safety. Several incidents of political killings have been reported, including the death of a TMC polling agent in Beleghata and a BJP worker in Udaynarayanpur. Violence has also spread to Asansol, Bardhaman, Hooghly, and Jalpaiguri, where party offices were seized and homes destroyed. BJP leader Shamik Bhattacharya blamed the TMC for provoking clashes, while the ground situation shows widespread intimidation.

The escalating unrest has raised concerns about communal targeting and the erosion of West Bengal’s social fabric, with fears of further violence in the coming days.

In West Bengal, a significant administrative directive has been issued just before the formation of a new government. Retired bureaucrats who were appointed during Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s tenure have been barred from entering government offices. According to administrative sources, the order took effect on Wednesday, May 6, and will remain in place until the new BJP-led government formally assumes office.

NDTV reported that Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala conveyed the instruction from the state secretariat, Nabanna, to all departmental secretaries. The decision was communicated verbally across departments. Several retired officials serving as advisers or in special roles have already submitted their resignations and begun vacating government housing. The administration has also tightened document security, directing departments to safeguard important files and prevent any from leaving offices.

Financial advisers have been tasked with helping compile and secure lists of key departmental documents. Observers view these measures as an attempt to maintain administrative control and protect sensitive records amid the ongoing political transition in the state.

In West Bengal, India, police have filed 200 cases and arrested 433 people in connection with post-election violence that erupted across several districts following a political change in the state. Additionally, around 1,100 individuals have been detained as a preventive measure. The information was announced by Director General of Police Siddhnath Gupta during a press conference at the state police headquarters in Bhawani Bhavan on Wednesday. He stated that while incidents of violence occurred in recent days, no new cases were reported since Wednesday morning.

The police have warned that any attempt to intimidate others or take the law into one’s own hands will face strict legal action. Authorities have begun identifying those allegedly trying to exploit the political transition to create unrest. Gupta urged citizens to report complaints to local police stations and assured that police would file cases on their own initiative if victims were too afraid to come forward.

The state police also clarified that the additional security previously provided to Trinamool leader and outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and MP Abhishek Banerjee has been redeployed elsewhere. Central forces, comprising 500 companies, are assisting the state police, with joint control rooms operating at state and district levels.

Over a decade after Narendra Modi first campaigned to build a Congress-free India, the country’s political landscape has shifted sharply in his favor. The Congress Party, once India’s dominant political force, has been reduced to control of only four states while Modi’s ruling coalition now governs 21. Recent elections saw key opposition leaders Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal and M.K. Stalin in Tamil Nadu lose power, leaving Modi with virtually no strong political challengers.

Analysts and critics describe this as the emergence of a one-party state under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whose Hindu nationalist agenda contrasts sharply with Jawaharlal Nehru’s pluralist vision for India. The BJP’s disciplined organization and focus on welfare and local governance have helped it secure a series of state-level victories since 2024, despite allegations of voter suppression and electoral manipulation. In states like West Bengal and Assam, large-scale voter list revisions reportedly disenfranchised minorities.

Political observers note that Modi’s dominance has left the opposition fragmented and weak. With the next national election due in 2029, questions remain over whether Modi will seek another term or who might succeed him within the BJP.

The Indian National Congress has decided to support actor Thalapathy Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), in forming the next government in Tamil Nadu after the party achieved notable success in the recent state assembly elections but fell short of a majority. Congress MP Shashikant Senthil told NDTV that the party’s Political Affairs Committee approved the decision, with Rahul Gandhi reportedly backing the move from the start. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge preferred that the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee make the final call, which was later confirmed in a virtual meeting.

Congress expects to receive two ministerial positions in the upcoming cabinet, with leaders Girish Chodankar and Praveen Chakravarty maintaining contact with TVK. However, the party has set a key condition that TVK must not ally with the NDA or any of its partners, particularly AIADMK. Vijay is now required to formally approach the state governor to claim the right to form the government and take oath as chief minister.

Following the election results, Vijay expressed gratitude to the people of Tamil Nadu, calling the victory a triumph of democracy.

After the Trinamool Congress lost the West Bengal election, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared she had not been defeated and would not resign. Her government’s term officially ended on May 6, but she insisted she would remain in office, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won through dishonest means. The BJP criticized her remarks, calling them inconsistent with constitutional principles.

Legal experts cited India’s Constitution, explaining that under Article 164, a chief minister holds office at the governor’s pleasure, which depends on legislative majority support. If Banerjee refuses to resign, the governor can withdraw that pleasure and dismiss the cabinet. They also noted that under Article 172, no state government can continue beyond five years. Experts said her refusal is more political than legal, as the governor can still invite the majority party to form a new government.

Constitutional scholars added that while Banerjee’s resignation is customary, her tenure automatically ends with the assembly’s term. The situation has drawn comparisons to past instances where Indian chief ministers resisted stepping down after controversies or convictions.

Amit Shah is traveling to Kolkata tonight to attend a crucial political meeting focused on selecting the new chief minister of West Bengal. According to party sources, he will serve as the chief observer in the process of electing the Bharatiya Janata Party’s legislative party leader. Mohan Charan Majhi will assist him in this task. Under BJP rules, central observers are sent to states after elections to oversee the selection of legislative leaders.

This meeting is being viewed as highly significant, as the BJP is reportedly close to forming a government in West Bengal after being in opposition. Party insiders suggest that the decision may not only finalize the legislative leader but could also effectively determine the next chief minister, since the elected leader typically assumes that role.

Earlier, current Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dismissed speculation about her resignation, stating that her party had not been defeated. The overall political atmosphere in West Bengal remains tense amid expectations of a new government formation.

At least four people have been killed in widespread violence across West Bengal following the announcement of the state assembly election results, according to multiple Indian media reports. The clashes reportedly occurred between supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in several districts including Birbhum, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Nadia, and Bankura.

Allegations from both parties indicate that two BJP workers were killed by TMC supporters in Howrah’s Udaypur and Rajarhat New Town, while TMC claimed that two of its workers were killed by BJP activists in Birbhum’s Nanur and Kolkata’s Beleghata. Both sides have denied responsibility. Incidents of vandalism and arson were reported in Asansol, where several TMC offices were attacked, and fires spread to nearby shops. BJP leaders denied involvement, alleging that miscreants were using their party’s name to create unrest.

India’s Chief Election Commissioner Jnaneesh Kumar has ordered strict action to control the situation, directing immediate arrests and instructing state authorities and central forces to remain on alert.

Post-election violence has continued across West Bengal two days after the announcement of assembly election results. Reports from Tuesday night indicate multiple incidents of vandalism and arson targeting Trinamool Congress offices in the Asansol industrial area. Party offices were attacked and set on fire at Asansol Court More, while similar incidents occurred in Rupnarayanpur, Kumarpur, Kulti, Raniganj, Jamuria, Barabani, and Burnpur. Some offices were also painted saffron. The Bharatiya Janata Party has denied involvement, with newly elected BJP legislators stating that no party workers were connected to the violence.

In response, Chief Election Commissioner Jnanesh Kumar announced strict measures to curb the unrest. He ordered immediate arrests of anyone found involved in vandalism or attacks and advised the state’s Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Kolkata Police Commissioner, and the Director General of Central Armed Forces to remain vigilant.

The Election Commission’s directive signals heightened enforcement efforts to restore order amid ongoing political tensions in the state.

Widespread unrest has erupted across West Bengal following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) major victory in the recent state assembly elections. Reports indicate incidents of violence, vandalism, and intimidation targeting minority Muslim communities in several districts. Threats of bulldozer action similar to those seen in Assam and Uttar Pradesh, along with attacks on religious sites, have created deep anxiety among residents. Offices of the Trinamool Congress were reportedly destroyed or set on fire in areas including Tollygunge, Asansol, and New Town, while former minister Arup Biswas’s office was also attacked.

Witnesses from counting centers alleged that BJP agents used force even in the presence of central security forces, driving out opposition agents with threats and verbal abuse. In Minakha, a Trinamool panchayat member and her family were assaulted, and opposition offices across multiple districts were allegedly seized and marked with saffron flags. Residents in Muslim-majority neighborhoods described sleepless nights amid fears of bulldozer attacks and communal provocation.

Local observers warned that such violence and intimidation could severely damage Bengal’s long-standing tradition of communal harmony and push the state toward deeper political and social instability.

Post-election unrest has persisted across West Bengal despite repeated warnings from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership. Scattered incidents of violence have been reported in multiple districts, with BJP supporters holding victory processions using bulldozers and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) losing ground in North Bengal. In Jalpaiguri’s Maynaguri block, BJP members were accused of forcing Muslim-owned shops to close. Reports of clashes also came from both North and South 24 Parganas, where several deaths occurred.

In Kolkata’s Beleghata area, the body of TMC worker Biswajit Pattnayak was found under suspicious circumstances, prompting a police investigation. Violence also erupted in New Town after a BJP worker was allegedly beaten to death, while in Bolpur’s Santoshpur village, a TMC member named Abir Sheikh was killed. BJP supporters reportedly took control of several TMC offices in Nandigram and Falta, replacing TMC flags with BJP ones.

State BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya warned party members against seizing offices of other parties and said disciplinary action would follow if such incidents continued.

Post-election violence has spread across several districts of West Bengal, including South 24 Parganas, Birbhum, Nadia, Howrah, and Bankura. Reports indicate incidents of murder, assault, vandalism, and party office takeovers, leading to rising tension in multiple areas. In a particularly brutal case in Nanur, Birbhum, a Muslim Trinamool Congress worker named Abir Sheikh was killed. His family alleged that BJP supporters attacked him with sharp weapons when he was alone. Police have been deployed to control the situation.

In another incident, tension flared in Champahati under the Baruipur East constituency of South 24 Parganas. Allegations surfaced that BJP workers blocked the entrance of a panchayat office with bamboo poles after hoisting their party flag. The BJP has completely denied these accusations.

Authorities are maintaining a heightened presence in affected areas to prevent further escalation, as political unrest continues following the election results.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has dismissed speculation about her resignation following the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) major setback in the state assembly election. Speaking to journalists in Kalighat on Tuesday, she appeared defiant and accused the Election Commission of bias, alleging that the central government seeks one-party rule. Banerjee insisted that she would not resign, declaring, “Why should I resign? We have not lost.”

According to the election results, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 207 of the 293 assembly seats, while the TMC secured 80. The outcome triggered widespread political discussion about Banerjee’s future as chief minister. Senior TMC leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee, Firhad Hakim, and Derek O’Brien, were present during her remarks.

Banerjee said she had endured much during her tenure but now felt free to fight against what she described as oppression. She vowed to continue her struggle from the streets, emphasizing her identity as a grassroots leader.