Mamata Banerjee rules out alliance with Cong for 2026 Bengal polls, TMC to go it alone
Kolkata, Feb 10 (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that the Trinamool Congress would go it alone in the 2026 assembly elections in the state, dismissing any possibility of forging a coalition with the Congress or any other party, according to TMC sources.
Addressing her party's lawmakers at a meeting ahead of the Assembly's budget session, the TMC supremo also expressed confidence about winning the elections next year with a two-third majority.
“The Congress did not help the AAP in Delhi. In Haryana, the AAP did not help the Congress. So, the BJP has won in both states. Everyone should be together. But the Congress has nothing in Bengal. I will fight alone. We alone are enough," a source quoted Banerjee as telling her party's MLAs.
She asserted that the party would form the government in the state for the fourth time in a row after winning more than two-third of the total seats.
According to a party source, Banerjee said at the closed-door meeting that like-minded parties must have an understanding so that anti-BJP votes are not divided.
"Otherwise, it will be difficult for the India bloc to stop BJP at the national level," she said.
The TMC chief also asked party MLAs to be alert as the BJP might try to include names of foreigners in the voter list to win the election.
A source said Banerjee informed the meeting that she would reshuffle the party's units from state-level to the booth level, and various wings.
To select new office-bearers, she asked the MLAs to suggest three names for each post to senior leader Arup Biswas by February 25.
The TMC chief also described the arrest of former food minister Jyotipriyo Mallick in the ration scam as "unfair", claiming that there is no evidence against him.
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Karnataka tanks hold strong water storage: Minister Boseraju
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister N S Boseraju on Tuesday said that minor irrigation tanks across the state are holding good water storage levels, with the 3,788 tanks under the department’s jurisdiction providing life-sustaining water to a large agricultural command area of approximately 4,45,009 hectares.
In a statement, the Minister for Minor Irrigation, Boseraju, said that according to the latest data released by the department, a vast majority of the 3,788 minor irrigation tanks in the state have maintained good water levels.
Detailing the storage status, the report said that even in peak summer, 165 tanks are full.
Additionally, 1,355 tanks have retained more than 51 per cent capacity, 1,143 tanks have water levels up to 50 per cent, and 959 tanks are at roughly 30 per cent storage capacity.
District-wise, Davanagere leads the state in water storage, with 27 tanks remaining full even during summer. Chikkamagaluru follows closely with 46 full tanks, indicating strong water retention.
Other top-performing districts include Hassan, Tumakuru, and Kolar.
Boseraju, who also holds the portfolio of Science and Technology, said 1,184 tanks are being actively filled through 145 tank-filling lift irrigation projects under the Minor Irrigation Department.
He attributed the strong water retention to good monsoon rainfall and effective water management strategies of the government.
“It is encouraging to see such a substantial volume of water stored across our minor irrigation tanks by the end of March, remaining largely intact even as summer progresses. The fact that 1,355 tanks are nearly full and 165 tanks are brimming is a testament to the success of our tank-filling programmes and rejuvenation initiatives,” he said.
“By ensuring a continuous flow of water to these tanks through lift irrigation projects across departments, as well as supplying treated and surface water to the Bayaluseeme districts, we have taken proactive measures to prevent them from drying out during the summer,” the minister said.
According to him, these data points confirm that efforts to build a water-secure Karnataka are yielding strong results at the grassroots level.
“This water wealth preserved in our tanks will bring direct benefits to lakhs of farmers across the 4,45,009-hectare command area,” he added.
