Avijit Ghosal

After swearing-in, Mamata starts new term under huge debt

After huge win, Mamata to start new term under mountain of debt

The enormity of the debt West Bengal is burdened with will keep gnawing at Mamata Banerjee’s brains as she takes oath as chief minister on Friday.

Challenged by Right, Left and Centre but Mamata may hold in Bengal

If the exit polls on Monday evening are anything to go by, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has probably tackled her biggest political challenge so far – the unprecedented Left-Congress alliance – with a measure of success that nobody expected.

Win or lose, Bengal polls will be historic for Left-Congress alliance

The Bihar model of grand alliance will become complete in Bengal, with the RJD and JDU – fringe parties in the state – joining hands with the Congress and the Left.

Throwback to Saradha: Going may not get too tough for Didi

If Saradha was a benchmark, it is most likely that Narada, despite the rhyme, will remain a far less potent weapon of electoral damage for the Trinamool.

Bribery sting: Narada can’t wreck TMC’s poll march

Narada News released a video that showed a dozen politicians of the ruling party in West Bengal accepting bribes. Will the fallout from this hurt an otherwise juggernaut Trinamool Congress in the coming assembly elections?

Subhas Chandra Bose: West Bengal’s hero who cannot die

Bengalis have loved nothing more than a tragic hero. But none can hold a candle to Subhas Chandra Bose--man, patriot, mystery.

Netaji files: The ball is in Modi’s court to unwrap a mystery

One of the best-kept secrets of the country, the intelligence files on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, came to light, at least partially, on Friday morning in the Kolkata Police Museum, where the government, led by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, took the laudable step of throwing open the files to the public.

Delhi can now follow Kolkata’s lead in releasing Netaji files

As long as the Centre refuses to release the Netaji files, Friday’s declassification will remain a half-baked one.

Netaji files: The ball is in Modi’s court to unwrap a mystery

As long as the Centre refuses to release the Netaji files, Friday’s declassification will remain a half-baked one.

Mamata takes all: civic poll results show who’s the boss in Bengal politics

The Trinamool Congress’ sweeping victory in polls to West Bengal’s civic bodies on Tuesday was attributed to chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s politics and the party’s strong arm tactics but the fact remains that its performance was more impressive than many had contemplated.

Ranaghat nun gangrape: Bangladeshi man among two held

The CID on Thursday made the first arrest in the gang-rape of a nun in West Bengal, picking up a man named Md Selim from Mumbai.

Burdwan: Amit Shah reveals BJP Bengal card

Are there schools in every village of Bengal? Is there electricity in every village? Does an ambulance reach within 11 minutes of a phone call? “All these happen in BJP- ruled states,” said BJP president Amit Shah as he launched his Bengal Yatra

Saradha scam probe: Will Mamata aide Mukul Roy turn against her?

In the major political parties of West Bengal there is always one leader who knows the organisation better than its most prominent face.

11 injured in Cong-Trinamool clash over party office

The Uttarpara area under Berhampore police station in Murshidabad turned into a battle zone on Saturday morning after a clash erupted between Congress and Trinamool supporters over the occupation of a party office.

Will Saradha do to Didi what Bofors did to Rajiv?

The year 1989 marked a key LS poll when the country punished a leader with a different style for corruption charges that are yet to be established in a court of law. Twenty-five years later, Bengal is debating if a similar political denouement is in store for Mamata.

Mamata Banerjee meets Singapore PM

Mamata Banerjee is on a five-day trip to Singapore to attract investments to her state. This is the West Bengal chief minister's first overseas trip in 15 years.

Before polls, Mamata chaining up all watchdogs in the state

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her party, the Trinamool Congress, are in search of a permanent state of victory – on every front, on any count and at any cost -- it seems.

Is the BJP rising in the east?

The BJP is a unique experience in Bengal’s milieu as it has very little shared political history in the state, excepting a short-lived despair over the death of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

18% vote share: BJP lotus blooms in TMC’s Bengal

From being a marginal player, BJP storms into West Bengal at the cost of Left Front that had ruled for 34 years.

Queen's gambit: What's at stake for Mamata in Lok Sabha polls

In her political life of more than three decades, the 2014 Lok Sabha polls are the first occasion where Mamata Banerjee has something to lose. At 59, Banerjee is fighting one of the toughest battles.

West Bengal: Mamata's grip gets stronger after polls

As Mamata's Trinamool Congress sweeps the panchayat polls in West Bengal, it's time to take a look at what the results mean for the chief minister, the Left and the state itself. Avijit Ghosal writes.

Wine, women and a cheat fund

Sudipta Sen maintained an obscure style of functioning. Even the journalists who met him never got to know him much. Here is a look at the murky and mysterious world of Saradha group founder. Rajesh Mahapatra and Avijit Ghosal report.

Indians worry for relatives as turmoil grips Bangladesh

The Shahbag Square movement of Bangladesh -with its continuing clashes that claimed 60 lives - has evoked strong emotions on this side of the border.

Reign of terror at Visva-Bharti: ex-VC writes to PM, President

A reign of terror has descended on Tagore’s abode of peace, noted historian and former vice chancellor of Visva-Bharati (VB) Rajat Kanta Ray has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urging him to intervene before the situation worsens further.

Mamata doesn't have cash to fund her Red zone project

Passing through one of its worst financial crisis, West Bengal cannot execute the time-bound mega development package for Jangalmahal announced by chief minister Mamata Banerjee during her visit to the Maoist-dominated area earlier this month. Avijit Ghosal reports.

Guv takes back consent given to Singur land ordinance

Barely 24 hours after giving his consent to the land ordinance allowing the state government to take back the Singur Nano factory plot from the Tatas, West Bengal governor MK Narayanan has withdrawn his approval today.

Mamata plans power subsidy, even with exchequer in the red

West Bengal might be reeling under debt but chief minister Mamata Banerjee is apparently mulling a power subsidy to shield domestic consumers from the rising tariffs.

Green revolution

The corridors of power at Writers’ Buildings is barely five km from Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence, but it took the gutsy lady a gruelling 4,881 days since the formation of the Trinamool in January 1998 to cover that distance. Avijit Ghosal reports.

Focus on the road ahead, lead society

If Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar contested polls, he would have barely managed five votes, said industry minister Nirupam Sen barely 48 hours before the poll in his constituency. “Leaders should be social reformers, and if necessary, pay the price,” he argued with Avijit Ghosal and Ravik Bhattacharya on May Day.