West Bengal

Kolkata, May 2 (PTI) The ruling TMC looks set to retain power in West Bengal with its candidates leading in 187 of the state's 292 seats that went to poll against BJP's 85, as trends were available for 275 seats.

Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee was, however, trailing her former protege-turned-BJP rival Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram by over 8,000 votes.

Kolkata, Apr 28 (PTI) Popular Bengali writer Anish Dev died at a city hospital on Wednesday after being infected with COVID-19, family sources said.

Dev, who was on ventilation, died at the age of 70, they said.

He is survived by his wife and daughter.

The writer was admitted to a private hospital after suffering cardiac arrest at home a few days back and was later diagnosed with COVID-19 infection.

Dev, who was on ventilation, died at around 7:10 am.

Born in 1951 in the metropolis Deb started writing at the age of 18.

Kolkata, Apr 26 (PTI) Campaigning for the eighth and final phase of polling for 35 assembly constituencies in West Bengal, scheduled to be held on April 29, ended at 6.30 p m on Monday.

A total 84,77,728 voters -- 43,55,835 male, 41,21,735 women and 158 of the third gender are eligible to decide the fate of 283 candidates in Thursday's polling which will be held in six constituencies of Malda, 11 in Murshidabad, seven in Kolkata North and 11 in Birbhum, Election Commission sources said.

Kolkata, Apr 26 (PTI) A 75-year-old man, undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at Beliaghata ID and BG hospital here, was found hanging in the toilet of the clinical establishment on Monday morning, police said.

The deceased, identified as Kalachand Das, was admitted to the facility on Sunday night after testing positive for coronavirus, a police officer said.

He was a resident of Kudghat Purba Putiary area in the city.

New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) Another consignment of containers for the transportation of medical oxygen has arrived in India from Thailand, the Union Home Ministry said on Tuesday.

This is the third consignment of empty oxygen containers flown to the country in the Indian Air Force's (IAF) transport aircraft by the home ministry amidst a surge in COVID-19 cases and a subsequent increase in demand for medical oxygen.

Kolkata, Apr 26 (PTI) The Election Commission transferred a few police officers as West Bengal voted in the seventh phase of assembly polls on Monday, officials said.

Shantanu Sinha Biswas, an inspector at the Directorate of Economic Offences, was transferred to the office of the DIG Jalpaiguri Range as a crime inspector, they said.

Sinha was accused by the BJP of manipulating postal ballots.

Kolkata, Apr 25 (PTI) Union Minister Babul Supriyo Sunday informed that he and his wife have tested positive for COVID and hence he wont be able to vote in Asansol on April 26.

Supriyo has tested positive for the virus for the second time.

He, however, said mentally he will be with the BJP candidates of the Asansol area and will monitor the situation from home.

Kolkata, Apr 24 (PTI) Jadavpur University authorities on Saturday announced that the institution will remain closed till May 3 due to sudden spike of COVID-19 cases in West Bengal.

JU Registrar Snehamanju Basu told PTI only basic emergency services, required for giving logistical support to online classes and running administrative work on the virtual mode for the time being, will be run from the campus with the presence of very few staff who will be given all necessary protection to avert contamination.

Kolkata, Apr 22 (PTI) Hitting out at the BJP-led Centre over the disparity in the price of vaccines being supplied to the Union government, states and private hospitals, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said rates should be the same for every buyer.

Mocking the BJP over its slogan of 'One nation, one party, one leader', she stressed that every Indian needs vaccine free of cost, regardless of their age and location.

"One nation, one party, one leader shouts BJP all the time but to save lives they can't have one price for vaccine.

Bhagawangola/Sagardighi/Farakka (WB), Apr 20 (PTI) Calling the Narendra Modi-led dispensation a government of "monumental incopetence', West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said Prime Minister Modi has allowed open market sale of coronavirus vaccines after shipments made by him to foreign shores have depleted stocks in India.