Clashes broke out between supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during repolling in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, highlighting ongoing political tensions in the state.

The incidents occurred as fresh voting was underway at 15 polling booths across the Magrahat Paschim and Diamond Harbour assembly constituencies. The repolling was ordered by the Election Commission following reports of irregularities during the earlier phase of voting held on April 29.

According to reports, confrontations between rival party supporters led to disruption in some areas, with allegations that certain voters were being prevented from casting their votes. Authorities responded by deploying heavy security forces to bring the situation under control and ensure the continuation of polling.

The repolling exercise is being conducted under strict security arrangements, with personnel deployed across sensitive locations to maintain order. Officials have emphasised that the process is being closely monitored to ensure free and fair voting.

The Election Commission had earlier declared polling in these booths void after receiving complaints of electoral malpractices and procedural lapses. Fresh voting began at 7 am and is scheduled to continue until 6 pm.

The affected booths include 11 in Magrahat Paschim and four in Diamond Harbour, both considered politically significant constituencies in the ongoing assembly elections.

Despite the clashes, authorities said efforts were being made to ensure that voting proceeds without further disruption, as the state moves closer to the counting of votes.

The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab has passed a confidence motion in the state assembly, reaffirming its majority in the House.

The motion was moved by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. The move came amid recent political speculation regarding the stability of the ruling party.

With a strong numerical position in the 117-member assembly, AAP demonstrated that it continues to command the support of a majority of legislators. The outcome of the vote reinforced the party’s dominance in the House.

Addressing the assembly, Mann said the confidence motion was brought to put an end to rumours about any instability within the government. He asserted that the party remains united and committed to governance in the state.

The trust vote was passed with the backing of AAP legislators, underlining internal cohesion despite ongoing political discussions at the broader level.

The result is expected to strengthen the Mann-led government’s position and provide stability as it moves forward with its policy agenda in Punjab.

India has begun testing a new nationwide disaster alert system that sends emergency messages directly to mobile phones, often accompanied by loud beeps or vibrations. The initiative is being implemented by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in coordination with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to improve public safety during emergencies.

The alerts many users are receiving are part of a trial phase, and authorities have clarified that these are test messages that do not require any action.

What is the NDMA alert SMS system

The system is designed to warn citizens about disasters such as earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, lightning strikes, and even man-made emergencies like gas leaks.

It uses a mix of traditional SMS and Cell Broadcast (CB) technology, which allows alerts to be sent to all mobile phones within a specific geographic area simultaneously.

Unlike regular SMS, which are sent individually, cell broadcast messages are delivered instantly to multiple users at once, making them faster and more effective during critical situations.

Why you may hear loud alert sounds

Many users have reported sudden loud alarm-like sounds when receiving these alerts. This happens because the system is designed to override silent mode on phones to ensure the message gets immediate attention.

Such alerts are especially useful during time-sensitive emergencies when quick response can save lives.

Nationwide testing underway

The government is currently conducting pan-India trials of the system before its official rollout. Citizens across different states may receive these messages multiple times during the testing period.

Officials have urged people not to panic and to ignore the alerts during this phase, as they are only meant to check system performance and reach.

How the system will help in real emergencies

Once fully operational, the system will:

• Deliver alerts in multiple Indian languages
• Reach users instantly, even during network congestion
• Target specific geographic areas for precise warnings
• Work alongside existing disaster platforms like the Sachet portal

The goal is to ensure real-time communication during disasters, reducing response time and improving public safety.