Mamata Banerjee attends Nusrat Jahan-Nikhil Jain's wedding reception

BJP MLA and West Bengal Assembly Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday expressed confidence that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would be defeated in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.

According to sources, the meeting involved extensive discussions on around 160 Assembly constituencies across the state. During the deliberations, the party is learnt to have finalised candidates for nearly 145 seats, out of 294 assembly seats in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, marking significant progress in the selection process.

In an 'X' post, TMC said the government has "ek hi naara, line mein rahe desh bechara," pointing to past governmental measures including demonetisation, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the Special Identification Registration (SIR), and now the LPG shortage. The party described demonetisation as a "Tughlaqi farman" that forced ordinary citizens to wait in serpentine queues outside banks and ATMs for days to access their own money. The post also highlighted the 2020 COVID-19 oxygen crisis, when families stood in long lines outside hospitals and suppliers as the public health system collapsed.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath holds a review meeting at the CFC Auditorium in Ayodhya on Thursday regarding the President's proposed visit to Ayodhya. President Droupadi Murmu will visit the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya on March 19, Ayodhya District Magistrate Nikhil Tikaram Funde said.

The textile industry in Bhilwara, a city renowned for its extensive fabric production, is currently facing significant challenges as the ongoing crisis in the Middle East casts uncertainty over exports and operations. The situation has escalated as the crisis in the Middle East has begun to impact local businesses. "Textile industries are facing some trouble due to the war, and if the war continues in the near future, exports from here could be affected," Jain noted. He emphasised the current predicament, saying, "Currently, export orders are on hold. They are either stalled locally or at the port, or have been put on hold by other parties."