TOI Kolkata

• newMamata Banerjee kicks off 2026 campaign from Bhowanipore meet today

  

  CM Will Travel To North Bengal On Tue, Hold Three Rallies
  - 7 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 7:45am -
• new‘They listened to music and killed’: 5 held in Kolkata RG Kar hospital lift tragedy; machine turned into murder tool, cops tell court

  

  A man's tragic death in a malfunctioning hospital lift could have been prevented, police told a court. Lift operators and guards allegedly neglected their duties, leading to the fatal incident. Five individuals have been arrested and remanded in custody as investigations, including forensic examination of the lift, are underway. The victim's wife's statement is considered crucial.
  - 7 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 7:44am -
• newEC to keep 700 central force companies in Bengal after polls

  

  The Election Commission plans to retain 700 companies of central forces in Bengal post-April 29 polls, with 500 dedicated to law and order, anticipating potential disturbances. This extensive deployment, including advanced surveillance technology, reflects concerns over post-poll violence, a recurring issue in the state.
  - 8 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 6:41am -
• newTremors in Darj, Gangtok as 4.1-mag quake hits Sikkim

  

  
  - 8 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 6:26am -
• newWest Bengal election: Matua factions push parties to give poll tickets to office bearers

  

  Matua factions in North 24 Parganas and Nadia are demanding their office-bearers be fielded as candidates, expressing anger over the exclusion of community organizers. Both Trinamool and BJP-aligned groups are threatening to chart an independent course or withdraw support if their demands aren't met, citing a lack of representation for active community workers.
  - 8 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 6:23am -
• newCAPF, cops review poll preparedness

  

  
  - 8 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 6:23am -
• newBengal polls 2026: BJP inducts 4 from TMC in Nandigram after Pabitra Kar defection

  

  Nandigram's high-stakes poll battle intensifies as BJP inducts four Trinamool functionaries, including two Muslim leaders, to counter Pabitra Kar's defection. Abhishek Banerjee will visit on March 25 for a closed-door meeting with booth-level workers and panchayat members to strategize. Trinamool aims to leverage Kar's local knowledge to reclaim votes in Block II.
  - 8 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 6:11am -
• newBJP has nothing against Indian Muslims, says Samik Bhattacharya

  

  Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya stated that the party opposes illegal Muslim infiltrators, not Indian Muslims. He emphasized that allowing such infiltration would alter Bengal's demography and vowed to continue opposing it. Bhattacharya reiterated the BJP's policy of "detect, delete, and deport" for infiltrators.
  - 9 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 5:53am -
• newDidi to kick off poll campaign today with TMC workers’ meet at Bhowanipore

  

  
  - 9 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 5:36am -
• newWest Bengal election: Eid greetings double as poll outreach across party lines

  

  Political leaders across parties in Kolkata embraced Eid celebrations on Saturday, extending festive greetings while simultaneously campaigning for the upcoming assembly elections. Candidates from Trinamool Congress and CPM visited mosques and neighborhoods, interacting with residents, sharing sweets, and emphasizing unity and peace amidst the downpour.
  - 9 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 5:14am -

• newBengal poll: 2 Bangladeshi bros left off voter roll get CAA certs

  

  Two brothers, who migrated from Bangladesh 40 years ago, have been granted citizenship under the CAA despite their names being excluded from the final voter list. This follows a pattern where several CAA applicants in Matua-dominated regions have faced similar omissions from electoral rolls before receiving their citizenship certificates.
  - 9 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 5:14am -
• newIIT-Kgp innovation PhD to incubate job-creators

  

  
  - 9 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 5:14am -
• newI-T dept seizes 1 cr in 4 days

  

  
  - 9 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 5:12am -
• newWorshippers tweak Eid prayer plans as morning starts on a wet note

  

  
  - 9 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 5:12am -
• newThose missing on suppl list can file plea online or at DM office

  

  
  - 10 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 4:56am -
• new‘No substance’ in allegation against JU prof

  

  
  - 10 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 4:56am -
• newPre-poll clashes

  

  
  - 10 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 4:41am -
• newCEO office shifts

  

  
  - 10 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 4:41am -
• newBattle of brains plays out at oldest open quiz

  

  
  - 10 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 4:32am -
• newKP warns against mule accounts

  

  
  - 14 hours ago 22 Mar 26, 12:55am -