NEW DELHI: After its delegation met the full bench of EC Wednesday, Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee alleged that “vote chori” is not happening through EVMs but through manipulation of electoral rolls, a tactic he said opposition parties failed to catch in states such as Haryana, Maharashtra, Delhi and Bihar, where they lost the polls. “If they had caught this, BJP would have lost in these states,” Banerjee said, adding that TMC would not allow it to happen in Bengal, which goes to the polls in a few months. The LS MP said the battle against “vote theft” cannot be won through television debates or social media campaigns and asserted that opposition parties, including Congress, must be present on the ground, particularly at polling booths, to thwart manipulation during SIR and special summary revision of electoral rolls. “EC has failed to address most of the concerns we raised. We will not accept the final voter list if it has discrepancies,” Banerjee said, alleging collusion between the EC and BJP. The 10-member delegation included MPs Derek O’Brien, Saket Gokhale, Kalyan Banerjee, Nadimul Haque, Ritabrata Banerjee and Mamata Thakur, along with West Bengal ministers. Banerjee alleged that CEC Gyanesh Kumar was “aggressive” during the two-and-a-half-hour meeting and challenged him to release CCTV footage of the interaction. He said the party would pursue legal options if EC failed to address its concerns on SIR. Referring again to Haryana, Maharashtra, Delhi and Bihar, Banerjee said people wanted to vote for opposition parties, but alleged manipulation prevented that. “Theft is happening in the voter list, in the software, not in EVM. You are failing to understand what algorithms are being used to disenfranchise voters,” Banerjee said.

Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to the ‘Thanthania Kalibari’ temple, in Kolkata. (PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist)

KOLKATA: Union home minister Amit Shah urged BJP functionaries and workers in Bengal to mentally lock in victory in the 2026 assembly elections. “Dil pe likh lo, is baar hamari sarkar (Write it on your hearts, this time it’s our govt),” Shah said Wednesday, hours before leaving Kolkata.Addressing party workers, Shah set a specific target. “Our workers have been killed and that has bled our hearts. This time, I want 22 out of 28 seats from areas in and around Kolkata,” he said. On Tuesday, Shah had said BJP would form next govt in Bengal with a two-thirds majority.Kolkata district and adjoining urban pockets include constituencies such as Jadavpur, Dumdum, and central neighbourhoods like Jorasanko and Shyampukur. BJP failed to win a single assembly seat in these areas in the 2021 state polls, but led in Jorasanko and Shyampukur during the 2024 LS election count.During his hour-long address, Shah referred to Bhowanipore, the constituency from which CM Mamata Banerjee won the 2021 bypolls. When he initially said BJP had led in three civic wards there, party worker Navin Mishra stood up to correct him. Shah accepted the correction. “Hard work helped us lead in five civic wards in Bhowanipore,” Shah said, revising his remark.Party seniors said Shah wants a breakthrough in the wider Kolkata belt – nearly 140 seats across Kolkata’s periphery, North and South 24 Parganas districts to the east and south, and Howrah district across Hooghly river to the west. “These are areas where the party is still weak. Shah wants us to penetrate this zone,” a Bengal BJP neta said.Shah raised concerns about alleged infiltration and what he described as a “changing demography” around Kolkata. “He said we may not fully grasp the danger now, but Kolkata is no longer safe. Infiltration will rise and the consequences will be serious,” a functionary said, quoting him.The home minister also sought to counter perceptions of organisational weakness in the state. “He told us to ignore narratives about a weak organisation. Compared to 2021, our strength has improved a lot,” the neta added.Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, meanwhile, dismissed Shah’s claim that BJP will win Bengal in 2026 polls, saying party workers were being fed “daydreams” and faulty arithmetic. “BJP’s maths is wrong,” Ghosh said, alleging the saffron party was building a narrative that Trinamool’s victory margins would be offset by voter deletions under EC’s SIR. “Every 70-75% turnout means 25-30% didn’t vote. Deletions will fall there. Let them daydream.”Responding to BJP’s corruption allegations, he said netas facing graft charges “turn saints” after joining BJP, calling it “the biggest washing machine”. Ghosh also rejected BJP criticism of Bengal’s record on women’s safety, citing cases such as Unnao, Hathras and Bilkis Bano in BJP-governed states.

NEW DELHI: A Kolkata-based businessman weaved a web of 60 shell companies with drivers, house-keeping staff, office boys, junior staff and relatives as directors and created a fictitious turnover of thousands of crores in iron & steel manufacturing, all on paper with no real business activity involved, and swindled a consortium of govt banks of more than Rs 6,200 crore, with the head of one of the lead banks playing accessory. The scam was scripted by Sanjay Sureka, who created dozens of shell entities and with the help of S K Goel, then CMD of Uco Bank, managed to get loans of Rs 6,200 crore. “Against loans of over Rs 6,200 crore, the company’s liquidation value barely reached Rs 600 crore, and assets sold so far have realised only Rs 434 crore,” ED has said in its investigation report. The entire operation was unearthed with Goel’s arrest by ED on May 16 at his residence in New Delhi. The agency later identified properties worth over Rs 106 crore associated with family members and aides and attached them. Sureka and his associates were arrested in Dec 2024, as the agency started probing money laundering based on a CBI FIR against them. According to an ED investigation report, at the centre of this scam was Concast Steel & Power Ltd (CSPL) – once a flagship iron & steel group with plants across West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh – which was taken over by Sureka in 2008. Sureka conjured up the shell entities and with the help of Goel, who served as CMD of Uco Bank between 2007-2010, managed to get a total of Rs 6,200 crore in loans without interest and penalty. This money was laundered by the accused and quid pro quo to Goel was transferred in the name of shell companies that purchased properties on the bank CMD’s behalf with the ownership of these firms later being transferred to Goel’s family members. “It is a case study in how an entire financial ecosystem can be manipulated through fake turnover, circular transactions and system-wide blind spots, ultimately leaving public sector banks poorer by more than Rs 6,210.7 crore, excluding interest,” a senior official said. The official further said 60 shell companies sprang up under the directorship of drivers, office boys and junior staff to help Sureka justify massive flows of funds. ED’s investigation unearthed fake sales, purchases and transport billings where CSPL “pretended to buy and sell iron and steel products” with associated entities, backed by forged invoices, ledger entries, and transport documents. “Fake transportation receipts were prepared to show trucks carrying goods between factories and shell companies, even though no truck ever moved, no goods were loaded, and no delivery was made. Yet on paper, CSPL looked like a bustling, high-volume operation with continuous production and sales,” a source said. The probe further revealed that neither sale proceeds nor payments for purchases were made through banks, 99% of the transactions were merely book entries. Yet, during the entire operation lasting several years, it did not raise any alarm bells in the banks, which continued lending. “This meant Concast was essentially selling to itself and then realising these payments through accounting fiction. By 2017, the deception hit its peak – 99% of all sales to these entities were settled through book adjustments, not a single real rupee flowed in through the banking system,” sources said. Purchases tell the same story. Over 50% of all raw material sourcing came from the same web of related-party entities. And just like sales, almost 90% of payments to these “suppliers” were made through internal adjustments – no real cash outflow, no genuine material movement, just rotating entries to manufacture expenses, inflate working capital needs, and justify massive fund withdrawals, the probe report said.

Travis Head revealed that the Australia national cricket team is planning to bring back some of the old Ashes traditions after the tensions and controversies of the last series in England.

The relations between Australia and England turned sour during the last Ashes series, especially after a controversial run-out of Jonny Bairstow by Alex Carey.

Travis Head Calls for Return of Iconic Ashes Beer Tradition After Heated Series

The Australian opener Travis Head has publicly called for the restoration of one of cricket’s most cherished customs: the post-Ashes series drinks. Travis Head said that this tradition is crucial for the “spirit of cricket.”

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With Australia having already retained the Ashes, leading the ongoing five-match Test series 3-1 against England, Head has shifted focus to mending off-field relations. The explosive batter has expressed his wish that both teams will enjoy a post-series drink together after the New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney.

As quoted by The Australian Newspaper, Travis Head stated, “There’s definitely mutual respect. I get along with a couple of them really well. There are some really good relationships with both teams. I’m looking forward to having a beer with Ducky (Ben Duckett). So, yeah, it’d be a nice moment. It’s obviously nice going there knowing that we’ve won the series.”

The Incident That Threatened the Tradition: Bairstow’s Run-Out

The friendly tradition stopped during the 2023 Ashes in England, mainly because of the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow by Alex Carey at Lord’s. Bairstow, believing the ball was dead, wandered out of his crease while trying to avoid a delivery from Cameron Green, only to be dismissed by the Australian wicketkeeper at the home of cricket.

This dismissal ignited a fierce debate about the “spirit of cricket” and sportsmanship. The fallout was intense. Australian players were verbally abused by members in the Lord’s Long Room, and England head coach Brendon McCullum said that he couldn’t imagine a friendly drink after such drama.

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A History of Camaraderie: Memorable Ashes Drinking Sessions

The tradition of sharing a drink after a hard-fought Ashes series is legendary. There have been memorable stories of legendary players from Ian Botham and Dennis Lillee to Shane Warne and Kevin Pietersen, setting aside rivalry to share a beer and stories in the dressing room.

It is a ritual that has symbolized the unique balance of fierce competition and deep respect between the players and rivals that defines the Ashes.

Why This Tradition Matters More Than Ever

In an era of non-stop media scrutiny and fan intensity on social media, these moments of informal connection are very important. The major reason is that several players from both England and Australia will possibly not be part of the next Ashes, making reviving this tradition really important.

However, the ongoing Ashes series has been far calmer, healthier, and more respectful compared to the fiery clashes of the past, with both teams focusing more on cricket than conflict. There has been debate only over a few snicko decisions and the Melbourne pitch for the fourth Test, which ended in two days.

NEW DELHI: Food delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy have announced higher incentives for delivery partners on New Year’s Eve, calling it a “standard festive protocol,” amid strike call by gig workers’ unions. The incentives are aimed at ensuring minimal service disruptions during one of the busiest ordering periods of the year, an Eternal spokesperson told PTI.The incentive push comes as gig workers’ unions, including the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT), have called for a nationwide strike on December 31 to demand better payouts, safer working conditions and greater dignity at work.

Platforms hike payouts for year-end rush

Zomato said it is offering delivery partners payouts of Rs 120–Rs 150 per order during peak hours between 6 pm and 12 am on New Year’s Eve. The platform has also promised earnings of up to Rs 3,000 over the day, depending on order volumes and worker availability, according to people familiar with the matter. Penalties for order denials and cancellations have been temporarily waived.“This is part of our standard annual operating protocol during festive periods, which typically see higher earning opportunities due to increased demand,” an Eternal spokesperson told PTI.Swiggy has also raised incentives for the year-end rush. The platform is offering delivery partners the opportunity to earn up to Rs 10,000 across December 31 and January 1. For New Year’s Eve alone, Swiggy is advertising peak-hour earnings of up to Rs 2,000 for the six-hour window between 6 pm and 12 am, a period that typically sees the highest order volumes, the people aware of the development told PTI.

Nationwide strike call by gig workers

The incentive push comes amid a nationwide strike call by gig workers’ unions, including the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT).In a joint statement, TGPWU and IFAT said, “As of last night, over 1.7 lakh delivery and app-based workers across India have confirmed participation, with numbers expected to rise further by evening.” The unions warned that the strike could disrupt operations of food delivery and quick commerce firms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto during one of the busiest days of the year.

Unions cite falling earnings, rising pressure

The December 31 action follows a strike on December 25, when thousands of delivery workers logged off platforms across Telangana and other regions.“The December 25 action sent a clear warning to platform companies about falling earnings, unsafe delivery pressure, and loss of dignity at work. However, companies responded with silence, no rollback of reduced payouts, no dialogue with workers, and no concrete assurances on safety or working hours. This continued indifference has made today’s strike unavoidable,” the joint statement said.Calling for broader participation, the unions urged workers to shut down work-related applications and abstain from providing services on December 31 to make the strike “united and effective”.

Key demands from workers

Earlier, TGPWU president Shaik Salauddin said the fast-delivery model has placed unsafe pressure on workers, while changes in payment systems have reduced earnings.“Our demand to the platform companies was that our old payout structure be reinstated and that the 10-minute delivery option be removed from all platforms,” he told ANI. “We are ready to discuss and talk about it. We request the state and central government also to interfere in this,” he said, adding that workers have placed five key demands before the platforms, including restoring earlier payout structures that were in place during major festivals.

Government response in Telangana

Amid the unrest, Telangana labour minister Vivek Venkatswamy said the state government has approved the Gig and Platform Workers Welfare Bill, 2025.In a video message posted on X, he said, “Gig workers are suffering due to the increasing aggressiveness of aggregators… over time, their income levels have come down while work pressure has increased. The 10-minute delivery system has added further pressure on them.”

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