imrantelegraph

Muthu ji, your political views are your own - but please do speed up the returns on my investments. 😃

A Qs for those living outside Tamil Nadu: would any other major state welcome as chief minister in today’s India someone whose full name is Chandrasekaran Joseph Vijay . What TN has shown today, may India do tomorrow: respect our unique multi-religious, multi-cultural diversity and give everyone a fair shot at their dreams. ⭐️👍

#unpopularopinion: I think this needs to be said. There’s a clear gap between what we see on Twitter, on TV, and what is actually being sensed on the ground in the West Bengal Assembly elections. Those who are travelling, engaging, and observing closely across the state are often describing a very different reality from what exit polls or the dominant narrative suggest. I am not claiming that one side is right and the other is wrong. I’m only suggesting that perhaps some layers are being missed in the broader reading of the situation. West Bengal’s electoral behaviour is deeply complex and cannot be reduced to a single narrative. Even within the so-called bhadralok of Kolkata, the variations are striking. A few broad observations (not exhaustive, just indicative): 1. Bengali-speaking voters often behave differently from non-Bengali-speaking voters 2. Those with older Left leanings vote differently from those without that legacy 3. Economic strata—upper middle class, lower middle class, and the poor—show distinct voting patterns 4. Religious identities continue to shape political choices in different ways 5. Among Bengalis, the Ghoti–Bangal divide still influences political outlooks in many cases 6. Among non-Bengali communities, Bihari, Marwari, Gujarati, and Sikh voters all engage with politics differently 7. Professional identities matter—Bengalis in business and Bengalis in service sectors often think politically in different ways; the same applies to non-Bengali groups 8. Gender and generational shifts are crucial—women across classes and the youth are emerging as distinct political voices 9. Age cohorts reflect very different political memories and priorities: • 60–80: shaped by Left-dominated politics • 40–60: lived through economic stagnation and job scarcity • 30–40: often migrants with different exposures • 25–30: split between those in Kolkata and those who have left • 18–25: first-time or early voters with entirely different aspirations 10. Bhodrolok of Chowringhee thinks very differently of politics than that of Bhodrolok of Kasba. All of this makes West Bengal a layered, multi-dimensional electoral landscape—far more complex than what a single exit poll or narrative can capture.

@Saurabh_Unmute @TheRedMike Best wishes

While the world watches from a distance, @TheRedMike is on the front lines in Iran. Moving past the headlines to bring you the unfiltered ground reality of the conflict with Saurabh Shahi. Watch Full Video on #TheRedMike’ s youtube channel. #TheRedMikeSuperExclusiveReport #Iran #Tehran

This is how INJUSTICE looks like! He is Ranjit Chitrakar, a #Muslim artist who paints #Hindu deities, sings songs on #Ramayan - one of the few 100s left who have kept the art of Pat Chitra alive in #Bengal along with the folklore. He received honour from President of #India & #ElectionCommission of India DELETED his daughter and 2 other members from the voter list I urge India to watch the story, not for me but for these people who are yearning for their dignity. All the artists here in this village are Muslims and 99% of them have passports. Since they do shows abroad. And…90% of them have been deleted - mostly women. They now fear as D voters if they will be pushed to other human rights violations. All their lives they have represented India abroad. But today India denied them representation in #Indian democracy? Full story here youtu.be/VwJVJ61B4tw?si…

Right through this high-pitched, hi-tech, frenzied and muscular run-up, the voter has been reduced to a caricature of an entity… Calcutta must vote in three days. For a new government, decidedly. But also to reclaim the power and place that is the ordinary voter’s. @ttindia

VIDEO | Balasore: Priyadarshini Acharya, wife of Pahalgam terrorist cttack victim Prashant Kumar Satpathy, said she is still awaiting the promised government job. She said, “It has been one year, and today completes one year since his passing. Since that day, life is just going on somehow, days are passing but it does not feel normal. After he left, everything is gone, the happiness of our home and all the happiness of my life has ended. At that time, many promises were made by the government, such as giving me a government job, support for my children’s education, and financial help. Financially, I have received an amount of Rs 20 lakh, but the government job has still not been given. In other states like Maharashtra, such jobs have already been provided. I was told that I would be given a government job according to my qualifications, which would be good because I have seen that in Maharashtra a person was given a Group B post, like an Administrative Officer in the Municipal Corporation, based on their qualifications. I have completed my graduation in Physics and also an MBA, so I would like to say that the government should fulfill the promises soon, as it has already been one year. Everything of mine is gone, and I still cannot forget it; whenever I close my eyes, those moments come back.” #Pahalgamterrorattack (Full video available on PTI Videos - ptivideos.com)

संसद के भीतर हो या संसद के बाहर… हिंदी/अंग्रेज़ी हो या बंगाली भाषा… तृणमूल कांग्रेस की सांसद @sayani06 अपनी वक्तृत्व कला से समाँ बांध देती हैं। सुनिए कि हिंदू-मुस्लिम-सिख-ईसाई एकता और धार्मिक सद्भावना पर इन्होंने कैसे शानदार उद्बोधन किया!

ECI must announce how many voters were in the que at 6 pm. Exact numbers are known, polling station wise, as numbered chits are distributed at the end of polling. The last person in Q is numbered 1 so that no new person can join. @ECISVEEP

People speculating on unprecedented 92 % voter turnout. This figure would have been 83% if 7 million had not been deleted.

Bengal once again has proved to be the mother of all electoral battles in India! I find the voters in W Bengal very different from the part I come from (Gujarat) and their awareness about rights and responsibilities a notch higher than more Northern and Western States. Here is a piece of mine in Anandabazar Patrika where I argue that @MamataOfficial s the only politician who is equipped to take on the juggernaut of @narendramodi Her resources compared to Modi are limited but her passion is boundless. Thankyou everyone for appreciating the few pieces I did from and on W Bengal. Here is one from Ananda Bazar Patrika. #Bengal #Gujarat #MamataBanerjee #NarendraModi @MyAnandaBazar

@pervaizalam I cropped it by mistake - do see the full picture here.

a recently retired chief justice of india with a hate-spewing baba. The restatement of values of judicial life 1997 must mandate that even former judges should be conscious of any conduct unbecoming of the high office they’ve held. sad day.

This is the video of Gujarat MP @Miteshbhaibjp openly saying that he will not give even one rupee from his grant if a single Congress man also is elected from this area.

No JUSTICE in cases..be it gang rapes or brutal killings. Unlimited heavy ARMS,AUTO ASSAULT weapons with INSURGENTS, armed groups & militias on all sides & no clear POLITICAL roadmap. #Manipur is extremely dangerous & a complete mess. Children, women, soldiers dying for last 3yrs

SIR ने लोगों को प्रताड़ित किया है इसमें कोई शक नहीं । West Benga नंदीग्राम के एक गाँव दाउदपुर पहुँचे तो जितने नाम वोटर सूची से हटाए गए हैं सब गरीब मुसलमानों के हैं। एक माँ ख़ौफ़ में है कि उसके जवान बेटे का नाम काट दिया गया है, उसे कहीं मुल्क़ से निकाल दिया तो बहू पोते को कौन देखेगा। एक औरत कह रही मौत ही बेहतर है क्योंकि पूरे परिवार में सिर्फ़ उसी का नाम काट दिया गया। Full report- YouTube-Smita Sharma Journalist

The ubiquitous image from West Bengal this election. People carrying documents in little bags, moving from one office to the other wanting their names back in. What is driving people is not just the prospect of missing a vote. When the Supreme Court of India observed that those left out can vote the next time, it reduced the issue to an electoral inconvenience. But on the ground, it is being experienced very differently. For many, the voter list is not just about participation in an election. To find your name missing, without explanation, while others in your family remain, is to be pushed into a space of doubt. This anxiety runs through all conversations we had outside the tribunal. It’s like you’ve been negated by the state newslaundry.com/2026/04/18/app…

No journalist covering the #Bengal elections can ignore this: SIR deletions while they are - aren't just rolls purification —there is also clear  disenfranchisement. .. - Have met scores outside appellate tribunals with complete documentation— even links to the 2002 rolls—standing in long queues losing daily wages, spending precious  ₹150–₹300 on photocopies, only to leave confused, anxious, holding a torn white slip with a hand scribbled number. this isn't what electoral integrity looks like .. Did the powers that be fail to safeguard it? Yes.