NEW DELHI, May 4 : Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday hailed the BJP’s victory in the West Bengal assembly polls, calling it a “historic” and “decisive” mandate and a reflection of people’s trust in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP is on course to form its government in West Bengal as it raced ahead in more than 200 seats, well past the majority mark, ending the TMC’s 15-year rule. The party is also set to retain power in Assam, while the NDA is poised to return to power in Puducherry.

In a post on X, Pradhan said the “sacred land of West Bengal has created a new history by giving a massive and decisive mandate, enabling the lotus to bloom in the state for the first time. I extend heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to every citizen for this unparalleled victory.”

This monumental success is a testament to the unwavering faith the people have placed in the people-centric policies of the central government under the visionary leadership of the PM Modi, he said.

“The dedicated organisational strength, relentless hard work, and unwavering resolve have brought this moment of pride to life,” he added.

The minister said women, youth and people from all sections had “fearlessly triumphed over injustice, anarchy and an atmosphere of fear” and chosen the path of trust, development and good governance.

This mandate will serve as a firm foundation for building a “Sonar Bangla” in line with the vision of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, he added.

Pradhan also congratulated Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party leaders and workers on the victory.

In another post, Pradhan said, “I express my heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to the divine public of Assam, who have once again bloomed the lotus by granting a resounding majority for the third consecutive time in the Assam Assembly elections.”

“The aware public of Assam has clearly rejected the Congress’s divisive politics, appeasement, and anti-development mindset, and for the third time, has given resounding support to the ‘Double Engine’ government’s resolve for development and public welfare,” he added. (PTI)

MOHALI, May 4 : The BJP should forget that it will ever assume power in Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Monday as he accused the saffron party of meting out “step-motherly treatment” with the border state.

Mann’s remarks came as the BJP is set to register a big win in West Bengal, ousting the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government and is also set to retain power in Assam, while the NDA looks to make a comeback in Puducherry.

The saffron party can win from any state in the country but it should never dream of winning from this land of great gurus, saints, seers, prophets and martyrs, Mann said after inaugurating 250 rural sport grounds in the state.

The people of Punjab are well aware of the dubious character of the BJP and they will definitely teach it a lesson, as Punjabis can never forget how the food growers of the state were “humiliated” during the protest against the farm laws, he said.

The hands of the BJP were drenched with the blood of more than 700 farmers who attained “martyrdom” during the agitation, he said.

Highlighting the party’s record in Punjab, the CM said though the BJP is buoyed over electoral gains in some states, as far as Punjab is concerned, there is a “long saga of injustice and step-motherly treatment”. He alleged the BJP wants to “deprive” Punjab of Panjab University, Chandigarh, Bhakra Beas Management Board and every legitimate right, and has stalled the legitimate share of grants of the state just to jeopardise its development.

Dismissing the BJP’s prospects in the state, he said, “Rather than building castles in the air, the BJP leadership should forget that it will ever assume power in Punjab as its sins against the state and its people are unpardonable, and with what face will it come to Punjab when its leaders have never raised the issues of the state and its people, as the brave and wise people of Punjab will never forget these misdeeds and will teach them a befitting lesson.”

On accountability and ‘beadbi’ (sacrilege), CM Mann claimed the people have taught a befitting lesson to such “arrogant” leaders who never cared for the common man and remained confined within their grand residences, and those who sought votes in the name of ‘Gurbani’ committed grave disrespect as incidents of ‘beadbi’ of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji took place during their tenure without action against the culprits.

“The government has passed the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Amendment Act 2026 unanimously, which provides harsher punishment and will end such incidents in the future by ensuring no one dares to commit this heinous crime, as these acts were part of a deep conspiracy to disturb peace, brotherhood and communal harmony,” he said.

Mann said while he will undertake a ‘Shukrana Yatra’ from Sri Anandpur Sahib from May 6 to May 9 to pay obeisance at Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Damdama Sahib, Mastauana Sahib, Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib and Sri Fatehgarh Sahib to thank the Almighty. (PTI)

KOLKATA, May 4 : The defeat of Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury – one of the most enduring and combative faces of the grand old party in West Bengal – in Baharampur possibly positions him as a fading stalwart, rather than a challenger to the BJP in West Bengal.

Chowdhury was vanquished by BJP’s Subrata Maitra, who retained the Baharampur assembly seat by marginally improving on his 2021 performance, by a margin of 17,548 votes.

The Congress leader’s nomination from his home turf of Baharampur in Murshidabad was widely viewed as a “comeback bid” to the state’s political arena after a gap of three decades.

His loss comes at a time when the party he leads continues to struggle to maintain relevance in the state, managing just two wins amid the ongoing saffron surge, although it has at least managed to avoid a complete wipeout, breaking the jinx of the performance in the previous elections.

A five-time MP from Baharampur, Chowdhury rose from grassroots politics in Murshidabad to become a central figure in both state and national politics.

Known for his outspoken style and organisational grip over pockets of central Bengal, he once “single-handedly steered the Congress boat” in the state during periods of decline, emerging from the shadow of stalwarts like Pranab Mukherjee to build his own political base.

Chowdhury’s career has spanned decades, beginning with early political activism in the 1970s before formally joining the Congress during the Rajiv Gandhi era.

He first entered the Bengal assembly in 1996 and later made a breakthrough in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections by winning Baharampur, a seat long considered out of reach for the Congress. Over the years, he has held several key positions, including Minister of State for Railways in the UPA government and, more prominently, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha from 2019.

In West Bengal, Chowdhury has been both a strategist and a survivor. He served multiple terms as president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, and played a central role in forging alliances, including the Congress-Left understanding in the 2021 assembly elections.

A staunch critic of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, he has consistently targeted her government on issues ranging from governance to electoral integrity, positioning himself as an independent pole of opposition distinct from the BJP.

However, recent years have tested his political standing. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Chowdhury suffered a major setback, losing his long-held Baharampur seat to TMC candidate Yusuf Pathan by a significant margin, prompting his resignation as state Congress chief.

Despite this, he had sought to reassert his relevance, returning to assembly politics in 2026 after nearly three decades, and contesting from Baharampur amid a three-cornered fight, which he has now lost.

Chowdhury’s political persona is defined by his combative rhetoric, deep-rooted local networks, and a reputation as a grassroots mobiliser.

He now faces the challenge of reviving a diminished Congress base.

But, more importantly, it’s his own uncertain political career he needs to tend to stay afloat in the turbulent waters of national and state politics. (PTI(

CHENNAI, May 4 : DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday said his party bowed before and accepted the people’s verdict and asserted that his party which worked well as the ruling party would from now on work well as the main opposition party.

In a social media post, Stalin said, “I bow to people’s verdict…DMK’s political journey will continue without any slackness.” (PTI)