FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW Legal exit SILIGURI | Wednesday, 29 April 2026 SPORTS WORLD EDITORIAL | Saying goodbye to pacifism Struggling Mumbai Indians face Sunrisers Hyderabad in must-win IPL clash Page 7 Trump not satisfied with Iran’s new peace proposal Page 12 PERSPECTIVE Page 10 Page 6 Bengal 2nd phase: Stage set for final showdown STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata/New Delhi, 28 April T he stage is set for the final phase of the two-phase Assembly election in Bengal, scheduled to be held tomorrow. Polling will take place in 142 Assembly constituencies. In the first phase, held on 23 April, elections were conducted in 152 seats, recording a turnout of 92 per cent. Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee and the Leader of the Opposition , Suvendu Adhikari, are contesting against each other in the Bhowanipore Assembly seat. Mr Adhikari, who defeated Miss Banerjee in Nandigram in 2021 by fewer than 2,000 votes, is also contesting this year against his former election agent, Mr Pabitra Kar, in Nandigram. Voting in this constituency took place on 23 April. The second phase includes 111 seats in the Presidency region ~ covering Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia, North 24Parganas, and South 24Parganas ~ often regarded as the state's political, economic, and cultural hub. This is from where the TMC won around 96 in the 2021 polls But this time the ruling party candidates are facing tough contests from the BJP and the Left Front. The other two districts going to polls in this phase are the rural Purba Bardhaman with 16 seats and Hooghly with 18 seats, which comprise both urban and rural areas. These regions also overwhelmingly voted for the TMC in 2021. Both the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, and the TMC led by Miss Banerjee, aggressively campaigned for this and the earlier phase of polling in a battle of wits, optics, perception and strategy. For the first time in Bengal’s electoral history, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has camped in Kolkata for the past 15 days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in eight roadshows and addressed multiple rallies, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also addressed political meetings across the state. Miss Banerjee and Mr Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the Trinamul Congress, held roadshows and meetings in all 291 constituencies where the party has fielded candidates. BJP dominates Gujarat civic polls, signals continued grassroots strength STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 28 April The ruling BJP’s performance on Tuesday across 15 municipal corporations in Gujarat ~ including Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Bhavnagar, and Ahmedabad ~ validated the party’s continued dominance in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The results of the elections, held on Sunday for 15 municipal corporations, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats, and 260 taluka panchayats, gain significance when viewed in context of the next Assembly elections in the state, due next year. These elections ~ one of the largest electoral exercises in the state ahead of the Assembly polls ~ covered over 4.18 crore eligible voters, according to reports. The BJP continued with its tight grip in urban local bodies, in what is being described as the biggest ever sweep in MC, In Ahmedabad it secured around 158 out of the 192 seats in the MC, a clear indication of its organisational skills. In Surat it won around 115 out of the 127 seats. The AAP could manage only four seats and the Congress one seat. The Surat result specifically dealt a blow for AAP, which performed quite well in the last elections. The saffron sweep in the 2026 Gujarat local elections, especially in urban centres, indicates a consolidation of saffron power in the state. The party’s chief opponents ~ the Congress and the AAP ~ were pushed to distant second and third positions, securing either in single-digit figures or a nil. AAP’s limited presence beyond a few seats in Surat and Jamnagar, and Congress’s scattered gains, point to a widening gap in the state’s political landscape. The BJP also emerged as the dominant force in rural local bodies. While the Congress performed comparatively better in rural areas, AAP’s strongest showing came in Gujarat’s tribal belt. According to reports, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party put up a strong performance in the tribal belt of Narmada district, winning control of four taluka panchayats ~ Dediapada, Garudeshwar, Sagbara, and Chikda ~ marking its growing influence in the region. However, it suffered severe setbacks in urban centres. For instance, in the Surat Municipal Corporation, where AAP state general secretary Manoj Sorathiya lost. Meanwhile, the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM also found a tiny silver lining in some areas, particularly in Bhuj and Bharuch in Kutch district, emerging as a minor but notable presence in an otherwise BJP-dominated civic election. The Trinamul Congress has replaced 74 sitting MLAs. In Kolkata, three incumbents have been replaced: Sandipan Saha succeeded his father Swarnakamal Saha in Entally; Shreya Pandey replaced her mother Supti Pandey in Manicktala; and Kunal Ghosh replaced Paresh Pal in Beliaghata. Both Trinamul Congress and the BJP have nominated two journalists each. Trinamul has fielded Devdeep Purohit in Khardah and Kunal Ghosh in Manicktala, while the BJP has nominated Swapan Dasgupta in Rashbehari and Santu Pan in Tarakeshwar. Ahead of the elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducted a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, removing nearly 91 lakh voters. The SIR has become a major issue in this election, with Trinamul Congress dubbing it “Special Intensive Rigging.” The BJP has fielded Ratna Debnath, mother of the doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in the Panihati Assembly constituency in North 24-Parganas. An interesting feature of the second phase is that in 23 of the 142 constituencies, women voters outnumber men. In Phase II, there are 3.21 crore voters: 1.64 crore men, 1.57 crore women, and 792 third- gender voters. In Jadavpur, 1,36,288 women voters exceed male voters by 11,759. Kasba, Behala East, Behala West, and Bidhannagar also have more women voters than men. Miss Banerjee and Mr Abhishek Banerjee have repeatedly asserted that Trinamul Congress will return to power for the fourth consecutive term. In response, both Mr Modi and Mr Shah have claimed that the BJP is poised to form the government in Bengal. The ECI has deployed 2.4 lakh paramilitary personnel. It has also replaced the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Director General of Police, Kolkata Police Commissioner, and 18 district magistrates and superintendents of police. The Commission has assured that tomorrow’s election will be conducted in a free and fair manner. Counting of votes for the Assembly elections in Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu and by-elections in eight Assembly constituencies across six states is scheduled for 4 May, Monday. 1,468 deleted electors will get to vote in final phase: Kolkata: A total of 1,468 electors will be able to exercise their franchise in the final phase of the Bengal Assembly elections tomorrow, following clearance of their names by appellate tribunals. Their names were subsequently included by the Election Commission of India in a supplementary electoral rolls. However, six names were deleted by the tribunals. In the first phase, a total of 139 electors had regained their right as valid voters and cast their ballots after receiving clearance from the appellate tribunals. Their names were also added to the supplementary list, in line with the Supreme Court order, enabling them to exercise their democratic rights. Family-oriented parties do not want women to enter Parliament and legislatures: PM Modi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Varanasi, 28 April Reiterating his commitment to implementing women’s reservation in Parliament and state assemblies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday blamed what he called ‘familyoriented political parties’ for derailing the related Cons- titution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha recently. “A few days ago, our efforts were unsuccessful due to the SP, Congress and other parties. I assure you again that I will leave no stone unturned to ensure that your reservation is implemented. Empowering women empowers the entire family and it strengthens the country,” he said. Addressing a women conference here on Tuesday, Mr Modi said: “Parties like the Samajwadi Party, Congress, TMC, and DMK have betrayed the women of the country. They had put a brake on women's reservation for the past 40 years. The Samajwadi Party has once again raised the red flag. The truth is that all these nepotistic and appeasement-oriented parties are afraid of women's power. They are afraid of all of you. This nepotism prevents the daughters of the country from entering the Legislative Assembly or Parliament.” He said the idea of women's participation was also behind the creation of the country's new Parliament. “Women's reservation had been pending for 40 years. We passed the Nari Shakti Abhinandan in 2023. We held discussions to ensure this law was implemented but they put in a spanner.” The PM said: “The work of developing India is ongoing. Today's strong pillar is women's power. Today, I have come to seek your blessings for the beginning of a great sacrifice. As the Prime Minister of the country, as well as the MP of Kashi, I need your blessings for a big goal for the benefit of the country. This goal is implementing women's reservation.” Talking about the achievement of his government, PM Modi said: “New opportunities have been created for daughters in the Army, Air Force, and Air Force. The doors of defense have also been opened for them. The BJP government's mission is to uplift women. India's daughters are doing excellent work on every front. Their role should be enhanced and the country needs this.” PM Modi said: “The Indian judicial code has also assured daughters of safety. Serious crimes are being swiftly adjudicated. Such steps guarantee the safety of daughters." “As women's economic power increases, their voices within the home also become louder. In 11 years, 100 million sisters have joined self-help groups. They are doing their part and now 39 million sisters have become millionaires (Lakhpati Didi),” the PM said. He said: “Our dairy sector has a major role in accelerating the Lakhpati Didi campaign. Lakhs of sisters are working at the Banaras Dairy. They have received Rs 106 crore directly as bonus. I would like to tell the sisters working in the dairy sector in Kashi that this is just the beginning. As Varanasi grows and dairy production grows, so will the bonus.” Man brings sister’s skeletal remains to bank for withdrawal of her savings Rajnath Singh at SCO: ‘No immunity for terror epicentres,’ calls for global action STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Bhubaneswar, 28 April In a shocking incident highlighting gaps in financial awareness in rural areas, a tribal man in Keonjhar district arrived at a bank carrying the skeletal remains of his deceased sister to claim her savings account, which had a balance of over Rs 19,300. The incident took place at an Odisha Gramya Bank branch in the Patna area, where Jitu Munda reportedly presented the remains as proof of his sister’s death. Unaware of formal banking procedures, he believed this would enable him to withdraw the money from her account. Bank officials said the man had earlier been advised to submit a death certificate and a legal heir certificate to process the withdrawal, as per standard norms applicable when an account holder is deceased. His sister, Kalra Munda, had died around two months ago. “We followed due procedure and informed him about the required documents. Without these, the amount cannot be released. However, we assured him that the money in the account is safe and will be handed over to the rightful beneficiary once formalities are completed,” said Satyabrata Nanda, an official of Odisha Gramya Bank. Efforts are being made to guide the man through the necessary documentation process, he added. The bank clarified that the individual who was in an inebriated condition became disruptive and came with the exhumed human remains claiming it to be of his sister and demanding withdrawal from her account. This created a highly distressing situation at the premises. Local police authorities were immediately informed, and the matter was handled. The incident has triggered strong reactions from the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which termed it a reflection of systemic failure in addressing the needs of vulnerable communities. BJD MP Manas Mangaraj shot off a letter to the Union Finance Minister underscoring the New Delhi, 28 April disconnect between financial inclusion policies and ground realities. He described the incident as a humanitarian concern, calling for urgent reforms to make rural banking more accessible, particularly for tribals, widows, senior citizens, and people living in remote areas. Delivering a strong message on collective security and counter-terrorism, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s firm resolve that terrorism epicentres are no longer immune to justifiable punishment, He was addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Defence Ministers' Meeting in Bishkek. Calling for a unified global response to deal with terrorism, separatism and extremism, he stressed that “tackling these three evils requires a unified front that eliminates safe havens and rejects any political exceptions,” adding that “terrorism has become the most serious threat to the emerging world order.” He underscored the importance of consistency, stating: “The real test of our collective credibility remains in consistency. We must not forget that terrorism has no nationality and no theology.” Highlighting India's firm position, Mr Singh asserted: “We must not lose sight of state-sponsored cross-border terrorism which attacks the very sovereignty of a nation state. There is no place for any double standards and SCO should not hesitate in seeking appropriate action against those who abet, shelter and provide safe havens to terrorists.” Referring to the Pahalgam terror attack's first anniversary, he said: “Just a couple of days back, on April 22, we remembered the victims of the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The carnage in Pahalgam had shook the entire humanity.” Placing the discussion in a wider geopolitical context, the Minister noted: “We are meeting today in the backdrop of unprecedented crises in our world. A series of conflicts over the last few years led to loss of precious lives and property with a disturbing frequency...the world today is facing a reality check in the form of increasing unilateralism and conflicts.” He also reflected on the SCO’s foundational ethos, saying, “The SCO is home to some of the world's most ancient civilisations… We share unique ethos where civilisations criss- cross, communities interact and commerce intertwines with inter-cultural exchanges,” while adding that “SCO holds particularly pivotal role in today's world where world view appears fractured and countries are becoming increasingly inward-looking.”