The West Bengal Legislative Assembly was dissolved following the conclusion of the 2026 Assembly elections, in which the Bharatiya Janata Party secured a clear majority in the state.

Governor R N Ravi issued the order dissolving the Assembly as the state prepared for the transition of power after the election results. According to reports, the BJP won 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly, while the Trinamool Congress secured 80 seats.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee questioned the election outcome and alleged irregularities in the poll process, claiming the mandate had been “looted”.

The dissolution came as the tenure of the existing Assembly ended on May 7, 2026. The development has sparked political discussions over the formation of the next government in the state.

Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with newly elected Trinamool Congress MLAs in Kolkata and reportedly raised concerns over internal sabotage during the elections.

The BJP is expected to begin the formal process of government formation in West Bengal after its decisive victory in the Assembly polls.

A helicopter carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was forced to return to Mumbai on Thursday after encountering adverse weather conditions during a flight to Thane district.

According to officials, Shinde had departed from Mahalaxmi Racecourse in south Mumbai around 3.30 pm and was travelling to Murbad in Thane district to attend a wedding function related to a party worker’s family.

The helicopter reportedly reached the Airoli area in Navi Mumbai when the pilot noticed an approaching storm and informed the deputy chief minister about the deteriorating weather conditions. Following the alert, the flight was turned back as a precautionary measure.

The helicopter later landed safely at the Pawan Hans facility in Juhu, Mumbai. Officials said Shinde was accompanied by members of his staff, including personal assistant Prabhakar Kale, special executive officer Balsingh Rajput and media adviser Vinay Patrdukar.

The incident comes amid changing weather conditions and storm activity reported in parts of Maharashtra in recent days.

A major cabinet expansion took place in Bihar on Thursday, with 32 leaders from the ruling NDA alliance inducted into the state government. Among the prominent names was Nishant Kumar, son of former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who entered the cabinet for the first time.

The expansion included representatives from all major NDA allies in the state. According to reports, the BJP secured 15 ministerial berths, while JD(U) got 13 positions. Two ministers were inducted from Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), while Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha received one berth each.

The oath-taking ceremony was held in Patna in the presence of senior NDA leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Nishant Kumar’s induction comes weeks after he formally entered active politics. His entry into the Bihar cabinet is being viewed as a significant development for JD(U), which had long projected an anti-dynasty image under Nitish Kumar’s leadership.

The cabinet reshuffle follows Nitish Kumar’s move to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year and the formation of the government led by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.