FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR Bengal will be No. 1 state: CM MANAS R BANNERJEE Siliguri, 16 January C hief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that Bengal will be turned into the number one state in the country, asserting that large-scale infrastructure and religious tourism projects would play a key role in the state’s socio-economic growth. The Chief Minister was speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Mahakal Mahatirtha, a grand temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, in Siliguri. Addressing the gathering, Miss Banerjee described the proposed temple as “another bright feather in Bengal’s crown” and said it would be one of the biggest and most unique temples in the world. She noted that the project would transform Siliguri into a global religious tourism hub, significantly boosting the local economy. Without naming political opponents, the Chief Minister criticised the Opposition and reiterated her vision of making Bengal number one in the country. She said the Mahakal Mahatirtha would attract tourists from across India and abroad, creating employment opportunities and spurring growth in hotels, transport, trade and allied businesses. Siliguri, which currently serves largely as a transit point for tourists, would evolve into a full-fledged tourism, business and trade hub, she said. Miss Banerjee also responded to criticism from some sections, including some political parties, over the state government’s initiative to build Mamata appeals for peace: Hindu temples, including Jagannath Dham at Digha, Durgangan in Kolkata and Mahakal Mahatirtha in Siliguri. Quoting Lord Krishna, she emphasised unity and coexistence, stating that strength comes from collective harmony rather than division along religious lines. Taking an indirect swipe at the BJP, she cited incidents from Assam and other states, alleging that people from minority communities were being targeted in BJP-ruled regions. Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday urged peace and harmony in the wake of violence at Beldanga, Murshidabad, which she attributed to deliberate provocation. Speaking before her departure for North Bengal, she said the flare-up bore clear signs of instigation and cautioned people not to fall into traps laid by political opponents. She emphasised respect for all religions and appealed for restraint, warning against targeting journalists. Page 3 Miss Banerjee also inaugurated schools and flagged off new bus services in the region. PM headed to poll-bound Bengal, Assam; to launch development projects STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 16 January Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit West Bengal and Assam on 17-18 January. West Bengal and Assam are headed to Assembly polls in April-May, as also are Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry in the south. On 17 January, at around 12:45 p.m, the Prime Minister will visit Malda and flag off India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train between Howrah and Guwahati (Kamakhya) at Malda Town Railway Station. Thereafter, he will dedicate to the nation and lay the Justice Yashwant Verma impeachment: Supreme Court rejects judge’s plea PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 16 January The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a plea by Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Verma, seeking the quashing of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s decision to constitute a three-member committee under the Judges (Inquiry) Act to inquire into the alleged recovery of unaccounted cash from his then official residence in New Delhi, in pursuance of impeachment proceedings against him. Dismissing Justice Varma’s plea and holding that no interference was called for with the Speaker’s decision, a Bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma said: “The extraordinary remedy under Article 32 is confined to enforcement of Fundamental Rights and does not extend to issuing advisory or corrective directions in relation to internal statutory mechanisms of the Parliament, where no present or inevitable infraction of any Fundamental Right is evinced. Petitioner is, thus, not entitled to any relief.” For adjudicating Justice Yashwant Varma’s challenge to the Speaker’s decision, the Supreme Court framed a set of five interlinked issues centred on the interpretation and application of Section 3(2) of the Judges (Inquiry) Act. At the core was the question of whether the first proviso to Section 3(2) mandates the constitution of a Joint Committee when impeachment notices are submitted in both Houses on the same day but are subsequently admitted by the Speaker, Lok Sabha, and refused by the Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha. The Court also examined the competence of the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha to decline admission of the motion in the absence of the Chairman, and the legal consequences of such refusal on the validity of the Speaker’s action in constituting an inquiry committee. Further, the Bench considered whether the draft decision prepared by the Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha declaring the notice “not in order” was legally sustainable. Finally, the Court addressed whether, in light of these issues, Justice Varma was entitled to any relief. Answering the core questions arising from the challenge, the Supreme Court held that the proviso to Section 3(2) of the Judges (Inquiry) Act mandates the constitution of a Joint Committee only in one specific situation ~ where notices of motion given on the same day have been admitted by both Houses. The Court clarified that it does not curtail the independent authority of either House of Parliament, if one house refuses to admit the notice for impeachment. foundation stone of multiple rail and road infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 3,250 crore in a public function at Malda, aimed at strengthening connectivity and accelerating development in West Bengal and the North-Eastern region. On 18 January, at around 3 p.m, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate, lay the foundation stone, and flag off various development projects worth around Rs 830 crore at Singur in Hooghly district. The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of four major railway projects in Bengal, including the new rail line between Balurghat and Hili, next-generation freight maintenance facilities at New Jalpaiguri, upgradation of the Siliguri Loco Shed, and modernisation of Vande Bharat train maintenance facilities in Jalpaiguri district. He will dedicate to the nation the electrification of rail lines between New Coochbehar– Bamanhat and New Coochbehar-Boxirhat, enabling faster, cleaner, and more energyefficient train operations. The Prime Minister will further virtually flag off 4 New Amrit Bharat Express trains ~ New Jalpaiguri-Nagercoil Amrit Bharat Express; New Jalpaiguri-Tiruchirappalli Amrit Bharat Express; Alipurduar-SMVT Bengaluru Amrit Bharat Express; Alipurduar-Mumbai (Panvel) Amrit Bharat Express. | Saturday, 17 January 2026 BJP-led Mahayuti tastes victory in Maha civic polls STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Mumbai, 16 January The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has taken a lead in 24 of 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including Mumbai (BMC), Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Nagpur, according to results announced by the Maharashtra State Election Commission on Friday. The BJP flag is likely to fly at as many as 21 municipal corporations in the state, including Mumbai, while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Congress had to be content with only a handful of seats, even as the Uddhav Thackerayled Shiv Sena lost power in the state capital after almost 30 years of dominance. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance crossed the majority mark in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), securing a total of 120 wards in the 227-ward civic body. Out of these, the BJP alone has won 93 seats, while its ally Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 27 BMC wards. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s alliance with the Raj Thackerayled Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) won a total of 73 seats, with the Sena winning 63 seats and MNS 10 seats, while both the Sharad Pawarand Ajit Pawar-led NCPs failed to open their accounts. The Shinde-led Sena maintained its dominance in its traditional strongholds of Thane and Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. In the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the BJP has emerged with a clear upper hand; the party has either won or has taken strong leads in a large number of wards. Though both the NCPs led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar fought the PMC elections together as an alliance, they failed to convert their traditional pockets of influence into votes. Even as results were still being announced, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis thanked voters across the state, describing the outcome as a historic and record-breaking mandate in municipal bodies. Mr Fadnavis said that the results reflect public support for the Mahayuti alliance’s governance and credited the victory to the developmentfocused agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Fadnavis said that the Mahayuti flag would be unfurled at the BMC headquarters and stated that Mumbai will get a BJP mayor. Promising inclusive governance, Mr Fadnavis said that the government would work for every section of society and remain committed to development-driven policies, adding that the verdict "demonstrates people’s confidence in the Mahayuti alliance’s leadership and vision for Maharashtra’s urban growth". Sanjay Raut, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and chief Sena spokesperson, said: “It is premature to comment before the full results are out. Counting in Mumbai is still underway and final results are expected only by midnight. The figures being circulated are false, because counting has not yet begun in around 100 wards, including Sena strongholds like Bhandup -Vikhroli, Dadar-Parel and Bandra.” • How outcome will reshape Maharashtra politics: Page 5