West Bengal Set to Introduce UCC on June 29, Following Uttarakhand, Assam, and Gujarat
After Uttarakhand, Assam, and Gujarat, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is now set to be implemented in West Bengal as well. The West Bengal government is preparing to table the UCC Bill in the Legislative Assembly on June 29, 2026. Under this law, regulations concerning marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption will be uniform for all citizens. Key aspects of the UCC in West Bengal include the process of establishing legal timelines. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the UCC Bill would be introduced during the Assembly’s current budget session. Notably, the West Bengal government will follow the roadmap adopted by Uttarakhand, Assam, and Gujarat; a committee headed by a retired judge will be constituted for the UCC. It is worth noting that implementing the UCC in West Bengal was a key promise in the BJP’s election manifesto, in which the party pledged to enforce the UCC within six months of forming the state government. While this move is garnering support from Muslim women, it is also facing stiff opposition from the opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress and the Congress. They argue that personal laws specific to certain religions are linked to cultural and religious identities, and that the UCC would effectively strip various religions of their distinct cultural identities.
Former TMC MLA Udayan Guha Arrested; Speaker Om Birla Calls Abhishek Banerjee Over Rebel MPs Row
In a significant development, the police arrested Udayan Guha, the former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA from Dinhata, from the Phoolbagan area of Kolkata on Wednesday. Officials view this arrest as a major development in state politics. Udayan Guha’s arrest comes at a time when several significant events are unfolding within West Bengal’s political and legal spheres. This move has further heated up the state’s political atmosphere. Meanwhile, sources revealed that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has summoned Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee for a discussion on June 19. The meeting will focus on the 20 dissident TMC MPs and the party’s stance on the entire matter. This issue stems from the growing discontent within the TMC following the assembly elections. Twenty dissident MPs from the party had met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on June 14. During that meeting, the MPs submitted a letter informing him about the merger of their group with the Tripura-based Nationalist Congress Party of India (NCPI). They also requested separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha. According to sources, the Lok Sabha Speaker is currently reviewing the status of these 20 MPs. It is reported that he will make a final decision only after hearing all parties involved. Sources further indicated that the summons sent to Abhishek Banerjee follows a previously scheduled meeting that he was unable to attend. According to TMC sources, the Lok Sabha Speaker’s office had sent a meeting notification to Abhishek Banerjee via email on June 15 at 2 PM. There is now considerable interest in political circles regarding the upcoming June 19 meeting, as it could impact the ongoing internal dispute within the TMC and the future of the dissident MPs.
Nineteen MPs Rebel Against TMC Leadership..
There’s turmoil within Mamata Banerjee’s party, the TMC. Following the crushing defeat in the assembly elections, MLAs and MPs have launched a campaign against Mamata Banerjee. One by one, MLAs and MPs are defecting and speaking openly against Mamata Banerjee. Now, 19 new members have rebelled against the party and submitted a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, further exacerbating the problems for the TMC and Mamata Banerjee. The names of Shatrughan Sinha and cricketer Yusuf Pathan have also emerged among those who left the party. Shatrughan Sinha is considered very close to Mamata Banerjee, as Mamata trusted him and fielded Anshul in the elections. Recently, Chitrakoot Singh was seen agreeing with every decision Mamata Banerjee made, but now news of his rebellion is suddenly emerging. According to the helpline of Lok Sabha elections 2024, Trinamool Congress MP from Ansul and Bollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha is the richest MP of West Bengal. According to the helpline filed during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, his total declared assets are around Rs 210 crore. Earlier in 2019, his total assets were around Rs 112 crore, which means his assets have increased rapidly in 5 years.
TMC in Freefall: Fake Signatures Scandal Triggers Expulsions as Mamata Left With Just 22 MLAs
The change of government in Bengal has led to a state of turmoil within the TMC. The current TMC is grappling with serious internal strife and political crisis. Following its crushing electoral defeat, widespread discontent has spread within the party regarding leadership, corruption, and ticket distribution. The party is now embroiled in a new controversy: the “fake signatures” controversy, which has sparked a deep internal crisis within the party. A major controversy has emerged within the party regarding the forged signatures of MLAs on a letter. Two rebel TMC MLAs, Sandipan Saha and Ritubrata Banerjee, have filed a complaint with the Assembly Secretariat, further compounding the party’s difficulties. In this case, the TMC has expelled two MLAs, including Sandipan Saha and Ritubrata Banerjee, citing anti-party activities. Abhishek Banerjee’s Controversial Letter Triggers Major Rebellion While the TMC won 80 seats in the Bengal elections, following the expulsion of MLA Ritubrata Banerjee from the party on June 1st and the rebellion of 58 other MLAs, Mamata Banerjee now has only 22 MLAs left. This clearly demonstrates Mamata Banerjee’s weakening grip on the party. Senior party leader and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, wrote a letter to the Assembly Speaker proposing Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition. The letter reportedly contained the signatures of 70 MLAs. Later, the BJP and Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, held a press conference and alleged that many of these signatures were forged. Minutes after Adhikari’s revelation, both MLAs, Sandipan Saha and Ritubrata Banerjee, filed a complaint with the Assembly Speaker, stating that they had not signed the letter proposing the Leader of the Opposition’s name and that their handwriting did not match. Following the public outcry, the TMC took swift action, immediately expelling both complainants on charges of anti-party activities. Amid the internal rebellion, Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday dissolved all state committees and frontal organizations with immediate effect.
Major Expansion of West Bengal Cabinet: 35 BJP MLAs Sworn in as Ministers
The cabinet of the government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari in West Bengal was expanded on Monday (June 1, 2026). During this ceremony, 35 BJP MLAs took the oath of office as ministers. Those who took the oath as Cabinet Ministers include Swapan Dasgupta, Dudh Kumar Mondal, Deepak Barman, Manoj Oraon, Gouri Shankar Ghosh, Arjun Singh, Tapas Roy, Saradwat Mukherjee, Jagannath Chatterjee, and Shankar Ghosh. All of them will now serve as senior ministers in the state government. Additionally, Rajesh Mahto, Indranil Khan, and Malti Rao Roy took the oath as Ministers of State (Independent Charge). They will be entrusted with the responsibilities of their respective departments. Several BJP MLAs—including Shantanu Pramanik, Purnima Chakraborty, Umesh Roy, Joel Murmu, Ashok Dinda, Anandamay Barman, Kaushik Chowdhury, Gargi Das Ghosh, Bhaskar Bhattacharya, Dibakar Gharami, and Sumana Sarkar—took the oath as Ministers of State. list of Ministers of State sworn-in today: list of MLAs who take oath today: Ministers of State (independent charge)
Mamata Banerjee Drops ‘Honorable Chief Minister’ Title but Retains CM Reference in Social Media Bio
In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee remains unwilling to concede defeat despite suffering a crushing loss to the BJP. It is worth noting that in the West Bengal Assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee was defeated by the BJP. On Saturday, May 9, while the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari took the oath as the new Chief Minister of Bengal, Mamata Banerjee made a significant change to her social media profile. Previously, on one of her social media platforms, Mamata Banerjee’s bio read “Honorable Chief Minister, West Bengal.” However, following Suvendu Adhikari’s swearing-in as Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee removed the title “Honorable Chief Minister” from her bio; notably, she did not replace it with the term “Former Chief Minister.” Instead, in her updated bio, Mamata Banerjee has simply addressed herself as the “Chief Minister of West Bengal.” Additionally, she has mentioned in her bio that she is the “Founding Chairperson” of the Trinamool Congress. The changes made to Mamata Banerjee’s bio on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) have sparked a heated debate across social media platforms. Some users have tagged ‘X’ owner Elon Musk, appealing to him to alter Mamata Banerjee’s bio, while others have demanded that her account be suspended. It is pertinent to recall that, prior to this, despite her electoral defeat, Mamata Banerjee had refused to resign from the post of Chief Minister, stating that she would not go to the Raj Bhavan to tender her resignation. Subsequently, on May 7, West Bengal Governor R.N. Ravi dissolved the Legislative Assembly, thereby bringing Mamata Banerjee’s tenure to an end.