West Bengal Politics & Governance

Repoll held at 15 booths in Magrahat Paschim and Diamond Harbour

2 May 2026

The Election Commission held a repoll at 15 polling booths in South 24 Parganas: 11 in Magrahat Paschim and four in Diamond Harbour. It voided the polling held there on 29 April following reports from returning officers and observers; the repoll was reported to be largely peaceful.

Key Facts

• The Election Commission of India can cancel elections or order repolls in response to electoral malpractice.

BJP wins West Bengal Assembly election; Suvendu Adhikari defeats Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur

4 May 2026

The BJP won 207 seats and the Trinamool Congress 80 in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur and also won Nandigram; the BJP received 45.84 per cent of the vote and the TMC 40.80 per cent.

Key Facts

• The Bharatiya Janata Party is an Indian political party described by the source as Hindu nationalist.

West Bengal Assembly dissolved with effect from 7 May

7 May 2026

The Governor ordered the dissolution of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly with effect from 7 May, invoking Article 174(2)(b) of the Constitution. The state entered an interim administrative phase pending formation of a new government, with officials continuing day-to-day administration.

Key Facts

• The West Bengal Legislative Assembly normally serves a five-year term unless dissolved earlier.

Calcutta High Court stays Singur compensation order

7 May 2026

The Calcutta High Court stayed for eight weeks the compensation order requiring the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) to pay Tata Motors ₹765.78 crore over the Singur factory dispute. The state was directed to deposit cash or provide security within that period; the court also imposed a ₹50,000 cost on WBIDC for filing the case.

Key Facts

• The Singur dispute concerns Tata Motors’ withdrawn Nano factory project; the Supreme Court invalidated the land acquisition and ordered land returned to affected owners.

West Bengal Madhyamik results record 86.83% pass rate

8 May 2026

The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education declared the 2026 Madhyamik results, with an overall pass rate of 86.83%. Kalimpong recorded the highest district pass rate at 95.10%, followed by Purba Medinipur at 94.82%; 9,59,753 candidates sat the examination.

Key Facts

• Madhyamik is West Bengal’s centralized Class 10 examination, conducted by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education.

West Bengal decides to join Ayushman Bharat

11 May 2026

West Bengal’s Cabinet decided to join the Ayushman Bharat health scheme at its first meeting under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. On 23 May, the state announced that rollout was planned for July, with people covered by Swasthya Sathi to be included and others able to register.

Key Facts

• PM-JAY provides eligible families annual hospital-treatment cover of ₹5 lakh at empanelled public and private hospitals.

West Bengal raises upper age limits for government recruitment

11 May 2026

A West Bengal Finance Department notification raised the upper age limits for state government recruitment to 41 years for Group A, 44 for Group B, and 45 for Groups C and D, effective 11 May. Posts that already had an upper age limit above 41 retain their existing rules; the 45-year limit also applies to recruitment by government undertakings, statutory bodies and local authorities.

West Bengal Higher Secondary results record 91.23% pass rate

14 May 2026

West Bengal announced the 2026 Higher Secondary results with an overall pass rate of 91.23%. Girls recorded a 92.47% pass rate, compared with 89.71% for boys, while Purba Medinipur led the districts at 94.19%. Of 626,258 candidates, 571,355 passed.

Key Facts

• WBCHSE introduced a four-phase semester system for higher secondary education from academic year 2024–25.

Amritsar–New Jalpaiguri Amrit Bharat Express service begins

14 May 2026

The weekly Amrit Bharat Express service between Amritsar and New Jalpaiguri began on 14 May 2026. The train’s route includes stops at Siliguri Junction and Bagdogra, providing a rail connection between North India and North Bengal.

Key Facts

• Amrit Bharat Express provides low-cost, non-air-conditioned sleeper and unreserved travel for long-distance passengers.

West Bengal signs MoU to join PM-SHRI scheme

15 May 2026

West Bengal signed a memorandum of understanding with the Union School Education Ministry to join the PM-SHRI school scheme. The ...