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13 LS seats with sizeable portion of Muslim voters under focus of Bengal BJP

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Understanding that sheer dependence on majority votes is not enough for bigger electoral achievements in West Bengal, the state unit of BJP has now decided to concentrate on 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state with a sizable portion of Muslim voters, sources said.

The sources said that there will be a special drive during which party volunteers will go to the doorsteps of these minority voters and will take note of their grievances so that the BJP will be able adopt strategies for these constituencies for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Special emphasis in the exercise will be given to those who come from backward financial background.

These 13 Lok Sabha constituencies have been identified on the basis of the proportion of minority voters there ranging from 32 per cent to 64 per cent.

They are Baharampur, Jangipur, Murshidabad, Raiganj, Malda (South), Malda (North), Basirhat, Jadavpur, Birbhum, Krsihannagar, Diamond Harbour, Jainagar and Mathurapur.

Among these constituencies Baharampur in Murshidabad has the highest concentration of Muslim voters at 64 per cent, while Mathurapur has the lowest at slightly over 32 per cent.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls despite Congress facing a disaster countrywide, the voters of Baharampur re-elected five-time party MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

On the other hand, Mathurapur, an earlier stronghold of CPI(M), in 2019 re-elected three-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Choudhury Mohan Jatua.

Although the BJP bagged 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, barring Raiganj and Malda (North), the lotus did not bloom in the remaining 11 constituencies mentioned above.

“Recently Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the party leadership a clear directive to reach out to the minority voters in the country. Accordingly, individual state leaderships were also asked to identify the minority-dominated pockets and reach out to the voters there. Accordingly, these 13 constituencies in West Bengal with sizable proportion of minority voters have been identified for this special interaction drive,” a state committee member of the party said.

Crime

Delhi Police bust interstate auto theft syndicate, recover eight high end cars

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New Delhi, May 30: The Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted an interstate syndicate involved in the theft and resale of high-end vehicles, a statement said on Friday.

The gang used a sophisticated modus operandi to sell stolen cars through online platforms by forging documents, opening bank accounts with fake identities, and tampering with engine and chassis numbers.

In a series of coordinated operations, the police arrested a key member of the gang and recovered eight luxury vehicles.

According to Delhi Police, the breakthrough came with the arrest of Rakesh Patel alias Pappu (38), a core operative of the syndicate, near Sahibabad Railway Station in Ghaziabad on April 21, 2025.

Acting on a tip-off, police apprehended him while he was attempting to sell a stolen Maruti Wagon-R via an online platform.

Patel, a resident of Sahibabad, Ghaziabad (UP), and originally from Mohiuddin Nagar, Samastipur (Bihar), played a central role in managing theft operations and delivering stolen vehicles across states.

His associates arranged vehicles, counterfeit documents, and fake number plates.

The gang’s method was notably elaborate. After stealing a car, they searched online car-selling portals for vehicles of the same make, model, and colour.

Using open-source information, they identified details of genuine owners and forged documents in the owner’s name — featuring the photograph of one of the accused. They also opened bank accounts using these fake identities.

To avoid detection, the syndicate would tamper with the stolen car’s engine and chassis numbers to match those of the legitimate vehicle. Fake Registration Certificates (RCs) were then prepared, making the stolen car appear genuine. Once the vehicle was thus ‘cloned,’ it was listed for sale on online platforms.

The syndicate targeted high-demand vehicles, often choosing cars parked in low-surveillance or roadside areas. The police noted the gang’s use of advanced technological tools to support their operations.

A team led by Inspector Arun Sindhu of the Crime Branch spearheaded the investigation, which led to the arrest and recovery of the stolen vehicles.

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Crime

Five killed in blast at illegal firecracker factory in Punjab’s Muktsar

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Chandigarh, May 30: At least five people were killed and 34 injured on Friday in a blast at a double-storey illegal firecracker factory located on the outskirts of a village in Punjab’s Muktsar district, police said.

Most of the victims were migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The factory, owned by Tarsem Singh, who is associated with the state-ruled AAP, in Singhwala village, was reduced to rubble owing to the intensity of the blast, trapping many under debris.

According to the police, the blast occurred at midnight. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, including All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda, and most of them were stated to be out of danger.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Muktsar Sahib, Akhil Chaudhary, said the blast occurred in one of the rooms in the manufacturing setup of the unit, which led to the collapse of the roof.

Many people got trapped under the debris, and rescue operations were launched immediately after the police received information about the incident.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Jaspal Singh said five bodies had been recovered from the debris, and 29 injured individuals were rushed to AIIMS Bathinda and hospitals in Muktsar.

Rescue teams were still on the scene, working to clear the rubble and search for survivors, if any.

The exact cause of the blast is being worked out, but initial investigation suggests that the blast occurred from potash used in manufacturing crackers.

Muktsar Deputy Commissioner Abhijit Kaplish told the media that no permission was granted to the manufacturing unit under the Explosives Rules of 2008.

“An application was made by the owners, but reports from different departments were pending, so no permission was granted,” he clarified.

Scattered shoes, broken glass panes and vehicles were seen all over the accident spot, as rescuers were sifting through the rubble in search of survivors.

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal has demanded a probe into the incident and urged the government to promptly release adequate compensation to the victims’ families.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Khudian said the factory owner is a supporter of the AAP, but that does not permit anyone to engage in illegal activity.

“The law will take its own course,” he added.

In 2020, a total of 23 people were killed and 27 were injured in the explosion in an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit in Punjab’s Batala town. It was manufacturing and storing crackers for a ‘nagar kirtan’ — a religious procession relating to the birth anniversary celebrations of Sikhism’s founder, Guru Nanak Dev.

A similar blast occurred in Batala in January 2017, leaving one person dead and three injured.

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National News

Maharashtra attracts 40 per cent of country’s total investment in 2024-25

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Mumbai, May 30: Maharashtra, under the Mahayuti government, has consolidated its position as India’s investment magnet by attracting foreign investment worth Rs 1,64,875 crore in 2024-25, which accounts for 40 per cent of the total investment received by the country this year.

According to the state government, Maharashtra continues to be the most favoured investment destination due to a business-friendly environment, dedicated sectoral facilities and availability of the highest employable workforce (70 per cent).

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “I am extremely delighted to share that the figures for the last quarter (January to March 2025) of the financial year 2024-25 have now been released, and for the entire year, Maharashtra has attracted foreign investment worth Rs 1,64,875 crore. This accounts for 40 per cent of the total investment received by the country this year. The total investment in the country this year amounts to Rs 4,21,929 crore.”

“Compared to last year, Maharashtra has seen a 32 per cent increase in investment this year. In this final quarter, Maharashtra attracted Rs 25,441 crore in foreign investment. This year has set a record for Maharashtra, surpassing the past 10 years. We had already broken this record in the first nine months. I wholeheartedly congratulate the people of Maharashtra,” CM Fadnavis said.

Retaining the number one slot has come as a shot in the arm for the Maharashtra government as it has an ambitious target of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030 and $5 trillion by 2047. The state economy has already crossed the $500 billion mark.

The Industry Department sources said Maharashtra has formulated industry and sector-specific policies and consistently updates its incentives and offerings to align with the evolving global economic dynamics and business scenarios.

“Maharashtra continues to lead the way as a top investment destination in India. The Retail Trade Policy 2016, Maharashtra Electronics Policy 2016, Aerospace and Defence Policy 2018, and Industrial Policy 2019 are under the government’s active consideration for review to keep pace with the changing investment scenario. In addition, the government proposes to come up with the Circular Economy Policy, MSME Policy, and Leather and Footwear Policy. The state has crossed $500 billion in GDP, surpassing the GDP of several countries like Singapore and Austria, as well as Indian states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka,” the sources added.

Further, the government has enacted ‘The Maharashtra Industry, Trade and Investment Facilitation Act’ on July 3, 2023, to create a strong, healthy and effective ecosystem for industrial development and further boost the investments in the state.

The Maharashtra Industry, Trade and Investment Facilitation (MATRI) cell aims to serve as the first point of reference for potential investors coming to the state.

Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar asserted that the record-breaking investment is not merely a matter of rising financial numbers, but proof of the global trust in Maharashtra.

“Now, as investment has increased, employment opportunities will also grow, new industries will be established, while further opening up new opportunities,” he said.

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