Election Commission Arrives in Kolkata Amid Protests for Bengal Poll Review

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the full bench of India's Election Commission arrived in Kolkata on Sunday evening for a two-day visit to review preparations for the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections, facing protests from demonstrators who waved black flags and chanted "go back" slogans.

The team, including Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, landed at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, where they were received by West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal and state Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty. As the convoy traveled from the airport to a hotel in New Town, a group of protesters, reportedly supported by the Trinamool Congress, displayed black flags at Kaikhali in a show of dissent. Security personnel escorted the officials without incident.

The visit began early Monday with Kumar's trip to the Kalighat temple in south Kolkata, near the residence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. There, additional protests unfolded, with members of the Trinamool Congress and Left parties raising slogans and holding black flags to express opposition. Authorities maintained control, ensuring the schedule proceeded as...