West Bengal Election highlights: Owaisi slams TMC govt for not allowing his rally in Kolkata

With the West Bengal polls close in sight, the Trinamool Congress and BJP have upped the ante with sharp retorts and sloganeering.Party president JP Nadda launched the "Lokkho Sonar Bangla Manifesto Crowdsourcing" programme in Kolkata and promised the return of 'Sonar Bangla' under the saffron rule. Targeting Mamata over the state of affairs in West Bengal, Nadda alleged corruption at multiple levels and said Didi is afraid of an audit. The BJP chief will pay tributes to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the composer of Vande Mataram, at his residence and museum later in the day.

Mamata demands immediate roll back of fuel prices

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday demanded immediate roll back of fuel prices by 50 per cent and threatened a strong movement if it was not done.

Banerjee who travelled to and back from the secretariat on a scooter as a mark of protest against fuel price hike, told reporters that it was a "mystery" why prices of petrol, diesel and LPG were not brought down in the country despite the decrease in international crude price by 50 per cent in recent times.

People are suffering due to rising fuel prices. Price of LPG cylinder has also risen to Rs 800. Subsidy worth Rs 4,000 cr that used to be given for kerosene was withdrawn from this year's budget, it's sad. I'll go to speak with other CMs over this: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

Owaisi slams TMC govt for not allowing his rally in Kolkata

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday blasted the Kolkata Police for 'denying' permission for his rally in the poll-bound West Bengal capital and mocked at ruling TMC MPs for talking about democracy in Parliament.

The Hyderabad MP, whose party has decided to contest the polls in the eastern state, claimed permission was denied for the rally scheduled for Thursday without assigning any reason.

Bengal needs vaccine for cutmoney, 'tolabaji'; BJP will arrange for it: Nadda

BJP president J P Nadda on Thursday said that people ofWestBengalneed a vaccine "cutmoney" and "tolabaji" (extortion) and the Trinamool Congress has to be sent for "aaram (relaxing)" and the saffron party should be given the "kaam (work)" of running the government.

If 'Jai Bangla' makes us pro-Bangladesh, what about BJP's 'Sonar Bangla': Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday wondered how the BJP call the ruling party of West Bengal pro-Bangladesh for chanting "Jai Bangla (hail Bengal)", when its own slogan "Sonar Bangla" (Golden Bengal) is part of the national anthem of Bangladesh.

Banerjee, also the youth wing president of the TMC, alleged that water was poured at a helipad to prevent him coming to at Matua stronghold Thakurnaga.

Bengal has to choose between development and cut money culture: Nadda

Making a strong pitch for a BJP government inWestBengalto usher in 'Asol Poriborton' (real change), party chief J P Nadda on Thursday sought to punch a hole in the TMC's main poll plank of Bengali pride and asked the people of the state whether they want to side with development or "cut money culture".

If Nadda can hold a rally in Bengal, why can't AIMIM: Owaisi

Model Code of Conduct has not come into effect now. If they're refusing to give us permission even before that, how will election be free & fair? Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, JP Nadda can hold a rally, Congress, CPM, TMC can hold a rally. Why can't we?: AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi

TMC MPs speak about freedom of expression, constitution, dissent in Parliament. But they have two faces, they say one thing in Delhi and do just the opposite in Bengal. If I want to conduct a public meeting there, then why am I not being permitted?: AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi. - ANI.

West Bengal has given a vision to the country & the world - either we talk about Swami Vivekanand, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar or SP Mukherjee. We have to promote the culture West Bengal, considering it our guiding star: BJP chief JP Nadda in Kolkata. - ANI

Nadda visits Bankimchandra's home

JP Nadda has lunch in the home of a jute mill worker in West Bengal

How long will lies go on? Mamata attacks Centre over rising fuel prices

Fuel price hike: Mamata protest gets amplified

Mamata trains her guns at BJP, targets fuel price hike, change of stadium name

Corruption free, development oriented Bengal is BJP's vision: Nadda

Mamata Banerjee hops on electric scooter to protest fuel price hike

In a unique comeback to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has done it again.

The Chief Minister was was spotted riding pillion on an electric scooter in Kolkata to protest the fuel price hikeon Thursday. She was travelling to her office Nabanna in Kolkata.

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We'll accept over 2 crore suggestions from people. We'll make available approx 30,000 suggestion boxes across WB, says JP Nadda

This campaign will go on from 3rd to 20th March in every Vidhan Sabha constituency: BJP chief JP Nadda in Kolkata

As the then Health Minister I used to ask Mamata ji to give me reporting of dengue. She used to threaten the doctors that no reporting has to be done from here: BJP chief in WB

Dengue had spread here. State govt wasn't providing us reportings on dengue. People were dying here, as the then Health Minister I used to ask Mamata ji to give me reporting of dengue. She used to threaten the doctors that no reporting has to be done from here: BJP chief in WB

If the health service of Bengal is so dilapidated then how will the state develop? asks Nadda

Prime Minister said that if West India reaches the pinnacle of development, then the Eastern part must also develop and we are committed to that: Nadda

The BJP will launch the seventh pay commission as soon as it comes to power. There will be no 'Cut Money' culture in Bengal, says Nadda

Why so afraid, Mamata, ato bhoy kano? Nadda takes dig at Mamata

The central government has helped Amphan victims but the money has not reached the ground level. Why is Mamata so afraid of an audit into Amphan funds? Nadda asks at rally in Kolkata

Only if Bengal progresses, can the nation move ahead, says Nadda

Will bring illegal coal mining vorruption an end, if BJP comes to power: Nadda in Kolkata

Sonal Bangla has to come back: Nadda recalls legcaies of Bengal's great men

We're making efforts to work towards making 'Sonar Bangla', with inclusion of contributions of Swami Vivekanand, Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Syama Prasad Mukherjee, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in prestigious history of WB: BJP chief

Actor Payel Sarkar joins BJP, in Kolkata

BJP national president JP Nadda launches 'Lokkho Sonar Bangla (manifesto) crowdsourcing campaign', in Kolkata

State BJP chief Dilip Ghosh and party's National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya also present on the occasion.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to visit West Bengal on 2nd March for election campaigning.

JP Nadda's schedule to go on as planned

Barrackpore City Police have cancelled the permission for today's 'Poriborton Yatra' on Ghosh Para Road from Kanchrapara to Barrackpore on instructions of the CM. Yatra is postponed, we will move to court & resume the yatra: West Bengal BJP Vice President

Mahua Moitra takes a dig at Modi

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's first rally in Kolkata cancelled as police 'deny' permission

AIMIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi's first rally in Kolkata, scheduled to be held on Thursday, has been cancelled as the city police denied permission for it, party sources claimed.

Owaisi was scheduled to kick off his party's campaign ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections with the rally in the minority-dominated Metiabruz area of the city.

AIMIM state secretary Zameerul Hasan said the police did not give them permission for the rally.

"We had applied 10 days back for permission. But today we were informed by the police that they will not permit us to hold the rally. We can't be cowed down by such tactics of the ruling TMC. We will discuss and soon announce a fresh date for a programme," Hasan said.

AIMIM has already come up with posters for the planned programme.

Negative Covid-19 test a must for flight passengers from four states, West Bengal government says

Amid a spike in coronavirus infections in Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana, the West Bengal government on Wednesday made it mandatory for passengers travelling in flights from these states to produce negative Covid-19 reports.

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"There will be one game in the 2021 Assembly elections. CPI(M), Congress and the BJP will be on one side and TMC on another. I will be the goalkeeper."

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WB poll preparedness

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided that if any personnel of the central forces deployed here for election duty fall ill, he/she will be provided "cashless treatment" and the entire cost would be borne by the polling authority, an EC official said.

Mamata writes to PM, requests him to help Bengal get vaccines for people before polls

Aiming at inoculating people of West Bengal for COVID-19 free of cost before the upcoming assembly election, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to help the state in procuring vaccines.

A rapid vaccination programme is needed immediately for the interests of health and well-being of all concerned, Banerjee said in a letter to Modi.

"We would request you to kindly take up the matter with appropriate authority, so that state government is able to purchase the vaccines from designated point(s) on top priority basis, because the West Bengal government wants to provide vaccination free of cost to all the people," the letter read.

Election to the 294-member West Bengal assembly is due in April-May.

Deputy EC to hold virtual meetings with DMs, SPs to review poll preparedness

Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain, who is in charge of West Bengal, will not be visiting the state and instead hold virtual meetings with senior officials in the districts to oversee the preparedness for the upcoming assembly elections, officials said on Wednesday.

Starting Thursday, Jain was scheduled to pay a two-day visit to the state from Thursday.

The state poll for the 294 seat West Bengal House is due in April-May.