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 LC | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI Page 6 ‘Don’t gloat over TMC loss’: Rahul urges Opposition unity Page 9 Man City’s last-gasp draw at Everton hand Premier League momentum to Arsenal Page 5 The day after US and Iranian forces exchange fire as tensions over Strait of Hormuz intensify Page 12 NATION Kaun Banega CM? BJP names Shah, Nadda as observers for Bengal, Assam TATESMAN NEWS SERVICE WHILE PARTY SOURCES SAY THAT THE NEW BENGAL CHIEF MINISTER WILL BE FINALISED BY PRIME MINISTER MODI AND AMIT SHAH, SUVENDU ADHIKARI’S SUCCESSIVE VICTORIES AGAINST MAMATA BANERJEE MAKE HIM A FRONTRUNNER FOR THE POST. New Delhi/Kolkata, 5 May S etting in motion the process to select chief ministers in the states it swept on Monday ~ West Bengal and Assam ~ the BJP on Tuesday appointed Union Home Minister Amit Shah as the central observer for West Bengal and Union Health Minister JP Nadda for Assam. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will serve as co-observer for Bengal, while Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini will assist in Assam. The BJP on Monday dislodged the Trinamul Congress (TMC) from power in West Bengal and retained Assam for a third consecutive term. In West Bengal, the BJP’s emphatic victory ~ winning 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly ~ marks the end of the TMC’s 15-year rule. The scale of the win is under- scored by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s loss in Bhowanipore to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, which positioned him as a leading contender for the chief minister’s post. But the BJP’s track record in states such as Rajas- Wednesday, 06 May 2026 SPORTS WORLD EDITORIAL | than, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha suggests it can be anyone’s game until the name is officially announced. Mr Shah, as observer for Bengal, is expected to convene a meeting with the party’s elected legislators, where the leader of the BJP legislative party will be formally elected. The campaign in West Bengal was closely strategised by Amit Shah and led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the central leadership playing a key role in the party comfortably crossing the halfway mark, sources say. “The chief minister will be finalised by PM Modi and Shah,” they say, adding that the leadership may also appoint a deputy chief minister. The oath-taking ceremony is likely around 9 May. Apart from Mr Adhikari ~ who contested from both Nandigram and Bhowanipore, directly challenging Mamata Banerjee ~ other names are also doing the rounds in power corridors, such as those of state president Samik Bhattacharya, known for his RSS roots and credited with strengthening the party’s organisational base, former state president Dilip Ghosh, also known for his grassroots connect, along with leaders such as vicepresident Agnimitra Paul. Party insiders argue that Mr Adhikari’s victories over Miss Banerjee give more power to his claim to the top post. “He should be rewarded for defeating Mamata Banerjee not once, but twice ~ this time in Bhowanipore. He had earlier defeated her in Nandigram in the 2021 polls. He had been relentlessly campaigning against her ever since leaving the TMC,” they said, adding that when Mr Adhikari filed his nomination papers from Bhowanipore, Mr Shah accompanied him, signalling the intent of the top brass. Mamata rejects defeat, says she won’t resign, alleges she was assaulted STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE A day after the Trinamul Congress suffered a comprehensive defeat in the Bengal Assembly elections, the outgoing Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday ruled out resigning as CM, contending that the electoral outcome was the result of manipulation. She also alleged she was assaulted inside the counting centre. “When I entered the counting centre, they kicked me on my stomach and on my back, and then they abused me,” Miss Banerjee said at her first Press conference after the defeat. “I sat there. I said that I shall not move until peace is restored. Then they pushed me out of the counting centres. I am a woman, and...if they do this with me, what they will do with other candidates,” she said. Miss Banerjee claimed widespread irregularities and insisted that her party had not truly lost the 2026 Assembly polls. Vijay ‘Sarkar’ swearing-in likely on Assam CM reaffirms tough stand on Thursday; TVK races to secure majority infiltration following NDA’s victory STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Chennai, 5 May Actor-turned-politician Vijay, popularly referred to as ‘Sarkar’ after his 2018 blockbuster film Sarkar, is likely to be sworn in as Chief Minister on Thursday, even as his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), intensifies efforts to secure the numbers required to form the government. According to party sources, the swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place at the Lok Bhavan. The party is currently awaiting an appointment with Governor VR Arlekar to stake its claim as the single largest party, having won 108 seats in the 234member Assembly. Earlier in the day, Vijay, after being elected leader of the TVK Legislature Party, wrote to the Governor seeking two weeks to prove his majority on the floor of the House. The election has resulted in a hung Assembly, with TVK falling short of the majority mark by at least 10 legislators. To bridge this gap, the party has initiated talks with potential allies, particularly constituents of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led alliance, including the Indian National Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and Left parties. Sources indicate that the Congress is inclined to support Vijay, with the VCK also signalling openness to backing the TVK. A key concern among these parties is to prevent the TVK from aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Thol Thirumavalavan, president of the VCK, stated that the electorate has clearly favoured a coalition government by delivering a fractured mandate. He added that discussions with Left parties would guide their final decision on extending support. Meanwhile, senior TVK leaders, including K A Sengottaiyan and Aadhav Arjuna, are reportedly engaging with legislators from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) to garner additional backing ahead of the crucial trust vote. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Guwahati, 5 May A day after the BJP-led NDA secured its third consecutive electoral victory in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday reaffirmed his government’s commitment to intensifying its campaign against illegal infiltration. Speaking after the results, Sarma said the drive to identify and act against illegal infiltrators would continue with the same determination. “The fight for our identity will go on,” he stated. He thanked the people of Assam for their strong mandate, attributing the victory to public confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He added that the state is set to witness accelerated development in the coming years. The BJP-led alliance rec- orded a decisive win, further consolidating its political position while leaving the opposition, including the Congress, trailing significantly. The BJP secured 82 seats, while the Congress managed to win 19 constituencies. Earlier in the day, Mr Sarma said that he had anticipated the party’s strong performance, noting that he had recorded his assessment on 9 April, when polling concluded. Commenting on the BJP’s performance in West Bengal, the Chief Minister described it as a “victory for the entire nation”, stating that it would have significant implications for the security of eastern and north-eastern India. Mr Sarma also reacted to Congress leader Pawan Khera being granted bail in a forgery and defamation case related to alleged remarks against his wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma. He said that while bail had been granted, the allegations remain and the case would proceed. Dismissing speculation about Congress MLAs joining the BJP, Mr Sarma ruled out such a possibility. He added that the party already has sufficient numbers and does not require additional legislators. Vietnamese Prez To Lam Kerala CM selection: High command faces arrives in New Delhi on tough challenge after UDF’s landslide victory his first state visit to India STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE highest seniority among all STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 5 May Vietnamese President To Lam arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday on a three-day state visit to India and the visit is aimed to open new avenues for cooperation between the two nations. This is Mr Lam’s first State Visit to India, after being elected as the President of Vietnam in April this year. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai welcomed the Vietnamese President at the airport. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said President To Lam’s visit to India will strengthen bilateral ties. “Chào mung, Excellency! General Secretary, President of Vietnam, Mr To Lam, has arrived in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India. He was accorded a warm welcome and received by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai,” Mr Jaiswal said in a post on X. “This year, we are marking the milestone of 10 years of India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The visit will further strengthen our multifaceted and robust bilateral relations,” he added. Earlier in the day, President To Lam offered prayers at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bihar. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary extended a warm welcome to the Vietnamese President upon his arrival in Gayaji. Thiruvananthapuram, 5 May The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala has made a spectacular comeback by winning 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, defeating the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front (LDF). However, this historic victory has triggered a major challenge for the Congress high command in finalising the new Chief Minister. It is learnt that the high command has entered into crucial discussions to decide the next Chief Minister of Kerala. Leaders of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) will hold consultations soon to arrive at a decision. The party leadership aims to announce the Chief Minister within a week. AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Assembly V.D. Satheesan, and former KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala are the top contenders for the Chief Minister’s post. Supporters of K.C. Venugopal claim that he enjoys the backing of a majority of MLAs. They also expect more MPs and senior leaders to rally behind him. The V.D. Satheesan faction maintains that the Chief Minister should not be decided merely based on the number of supporting MLAs. They oppose the idea of selecting the chief minister through a simple headcount. This group has initiated efforts to keep allies on board. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has already declared its support for Mr Satheesan. There are also indications that Mr Satheesan may take a tough stand if he is not chosen for the post. The Ramesh Chennithala faction argues that seniority should be given priority in selecting the Chief Minister. Mr Chennithala holds the ‘Everything is in the Constitution’: Suvendu Adhikari Kolkata, 5 May the aspirants. Speaking to Malayalam media, he stated that in 2011, he had suggested the name of Oommen Chandy for Chief Minister, considering his seniority. He is now signalling that since he once upheld seniority to maintain party unity, the same principle should apply to him. The high command is likely to send observers to assess the sentiments of the newly elected MLAs. It is learnt that Congress leaders loyal to the high command will be deputed to Kerala for this purpose. The team will seek the views of each MLA and report back to the leadership. Subsequently, the leadership will also consult MPs and senior leaders, including former KPCC presidents. The observers will then submit a report to the high command, based on which the chief minister will be announced. Asked whether she would resign, Miss Banerjee firmly refused, asserting that the electoral outcome was manipulated. “In elections, someone will lose, and someone will win. We all accept this, but here we have not lost. There has been complete manipulation in counting,” she said. “Agents were forcefully thrown out, Form 17C was snatched away. If they had won fairly, I would have had nothing to say. Why should I resign? If anyone forces me to resign, I will say no, this cannot happen. The Commission has played directly at the behest of the BJP,” she alleged. Alleging that the Election Kolkata: Asked about Mamata Banerjee’s refusal to resign as Chief Minister, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated her in Bhowanipore, on Tuesday, said that he doesn’t have to say much on the issue since everything is mentioned in the Indian Constitution. “Everything is mentioned in the Constitution. I need not say much,” Mr Adhikari told reporters as he left the BJP’s Kolkata office. Commission of India was colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party, Miss Banerjee said: “Our fight was not against the BJP; it was against the ECI ~ they became the villain. They looted the EVM machines.” • ECI dubs as baseless Mamata’s claim: Page 3 Exclusion from faith of Parsi women after interfaith marriage appears discriminatory: SC PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 5 May The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that the practice of excluding Parsi Zoroastrian women from their community upon entering interfaith marriages appears to be discriminatory, particularly when such consequences are not applied to men. The observation came during the hearing before a nine-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, examining broader questions on the scope of religious freedom under Articles 25 and denominational right under Article 26 of the Constitution in the ongoing Sabarimala reference. Besides Chief Justice Surya Kant, the other judges on the Constitution Bench include Justice B.V. Nagarathna, Justice M.M. Sundresh, Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Justice Aravind Kumar, Justice Augustine George Masih, Justice Prasanna B. Varale, Justice R. Mahadevan and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. Senior advocate Darius Khambata, appearing for a Parsi woman who married outside the faith and faced exclusion, argued that such treatment violates her fundamental right to practise religion. He emphasised that marriage does not amount to abandonment of faith and that a believer cannot be denied religious identity solely on that ground. Questioning whether marriage could be used as a basis of classification, Justice Nagarathna observed that under Article 25 (1), the right to conscience is a right by birth and it cannot be erased by marriage outside the community and such a condition is discriminatory against the woman. Justice B.V. Nagarathna observed that the right of conscience under Article 25 is intrinsic and cannot be taken away by marriage. She indicated that making marriage the basis for exclusion in the case of women alone would amount to discrimination. The Court also noted that children of Parsi fathers continue to retain religious identity, reinforcing the position that such identity flows by birth and cannot be taken away in case of woman opting for marriage outside the Parsi community. Terming it a man-made prescription that operates only against the woman, senior advocate Khambata said that though I continue to be a devotee and a believer, but I face exclusion just for marrying outside the community. Khambata further submitted that the rights of religious denominations under Article 26 cannot override the individual’s right to freedom of religion under Article 25. He urged that both provisions must be read together, with Article 26 deriving its scope from Article 25 rather than standing at variance to it. The Bench appeared to agree with this, observing that denominational rights cannot rise above individual freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution. The hearing also saw the Court questioning the role of public interest litigation in religious matters. The Bench questioned the basis on which the 2006 PIL filed by the Indian Young Lawyers Association in the Sabarimala matter was entertained, particularly when it originated from a media report. It expressed concern over whether such petitions, filed by persons not directly affected, should be used to challenge long-standing religious beliefs and practices.