West Bengal gears up for first phase of a high-stakes, tightly-policed Assembly election

April 22, 2026 7:31 PM

West Bengal gears up for first phase of a high-stakes, tightly-policed Assembly election

West Bengal goes to the polls on Thursday, in the first of the two-phase high-stakes, tightly-policed Assembly election, where about 3.6 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in roughly 44,000 polling booths across 152 constituencies in 16 districts. Though there has been a significant reduction in phases compared to earlier elections, the state is witnessing an unprecedented deployment of central security agencies with new and unique Election Commission measures aimed at the st...

Bengal Bandh: Security tightened in Kolkata; bus drivers wear helmets

September 16, 2024 3:56 PM

Bengal Bandh: Security tightened in Kolkata; bus drivers wear helmets

Security in Kolkata was heightened on Wednesday, with police personnel deployed across the city to prevent violence following the 12-hour 'Bengal Bandh' called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The strike has been organized in response to alleged police brutality during Tuesday's 'Nabanna Abhijan' protest rally in the state capital. The protest follows widespread outrage over the murder and alleged sexual assault of a female trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, ...