BJP government’s attack on corruption in Bengal: Over 70 TMC leaders Municipal Chiefs, and Councilors arrested across districts in one week

The BJP government’s crackdown on corruption and law-and-order cases in West Bengal has intensified sharply over the past week, with police and central agencies taking action against several Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders across districts. More than 70 leaders, councillors and public representatives have been arrested in cases linked to corruption, extortion, misuse of government property, post-poll violence and intimidation. #Watch: Baduria Municipality chairman & #TMC leader Dipankar Bhattacharya arrested after police recovered Rs. 80 lakh cash & bundles of government relief tarpaulins from a computer centre linked to him. Earlier, 4,000 government relief tarpaulins were seized from his party office… pic.twitter.com/HhXyclDzGT— Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) May 26, 2026 The latest and one of the biggest developments came from Baduria in North 24 Parganas, where Baduria Municipality chairman and TMC leader Dipankar Bhattacharya was arrested after police recovered around Rs 80 lakh cash and government relief tarpaulins from locations linked to him. Baduria chairman Dipankar Bhattacharya arrested after cash recovery Police arrested the Baduria Municipality chairman, Dipankar Bhattacharya, on the night of 25th May in connection with financial improprieties. The action came after raids at multiple places linked to him led to the recovery of around Rs 80 lakh in cash and large quantities of government relief tarpaulins. Investigators recovered the cash from a computer training centre situated beside the chairman’s residence. According to officials, the centre was under his control, and he had access to its keys. The case widened after police also recovered government relief tarpaulins from a party office and a garden house near his home in Ward No. 12 of Baduria Municipality. Sources said around 4,000 government tarpaulins had already been seized from these places. Residents claimed that before police reached the spot, TMC workers shifted tarpaulins and other materials from the party office using vans. Bundles of documents were also reportedly burnt outside the office premises. Police reached the area after receiving information late Sunday night, 24th May. During the operation, officers recovered relief materials and other items from the party office and an isolated garden house nearby. A complaint was later submitted by BJP workers at Baduria police station, after which Dipankar Bhattacharya was arrested. TMC labour leader Sheikh Wasul held over intimidation, fraud and poll pressure charges The police arrested Sheikh Wasul, president of a TMC labour union unit, during a late-night operation in the Laudoha area under Durgapur-Faridpur block. Police sources said complaints against him had existed for a long time. Residents accused him of taking money from people by promising jobs and creating pressure among locals to maintain control in the area. He was also facing accusations of trying to influence oters and creating tension before the Assembly elections. Several local residents had reportedly approached police with complaints even before polling. Following the operation, Wasul, a resident of Rangamati in Durgapur-Faridpur, was presented before the Durgapur Sub-Divisional Court. His arrest has become part of the wider action being taken against TMC leaders after the political shift in Bengal. Bidhannagar: Amit Chakrabarty arrested in assault and extortion case The crackdown also reached Bidhannagar, where TMC leader Amit Chakrabarty was arrested late on 19th May. Amit is considered a close associate of former Rajarhat-Gopalpur MLA Debraj Chakraborty and has influence in the Baguiati area. Police arrested him after real estate businessman Kishor Halder filed complaints related to assault, intimidation and wrongful restraint. According to police, the incident happened on May 4 when BJP supporters had organised a victory procession. The arrest came just days after police had taken Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation councillor Samaresh Chakrabarty into custody in another extortion-related case involving the same businessman. Halder had earlier also raised complaints against TMC leaders over intimidation and money demands. Ranjan Poddar and other local TMC leaders arrested in extortion cases The action in Bidhannagar expanded further with the arrest of Ranjan Poddar, councillor of Ward No. 34 and borough chairman of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation. Poddar, considered close to former minister Sujit Basu, came under police action after hawkers, transport operators and businessmen from Salt Lake lodged complaints against him. Police questioned him before formally arresting him. His associate, Rana Haldar, was also taken into custody in the same matter. Apart from them, separate complaints led to the arrests of local TMC functionaries Soumik Das, known as Raja, and Bijoy Rajbanshi in extortion cases. These arrests have brought increased attention to Bidhannagar, where several leaders linked to the earlier municipal administration are facing scrutiny. Former minister Sujit Basu arrested by ED in municipal recruitment case The biggest political name caught in the ongoing drive is former West Bengal minister Sujit Basu. The Enforcement Directorate arrested the former Fire and Emergency Services minister in connection with the South Dum Dum Municipality recruitment scam. ED officials said Basu recommended nearly 150 candidates for jobs in South Dum Dum Municipality in exchange for financial benefits. Investigators stated that properties, including flats, were traced during the probe and were connected to municipal appointments. The agency also found large cash deposits in bank accounts linked to him. The arrest happened after over ten hours of questioning by ED officials. According to investigators, irregular appointments took place between 2014 and 2016 when Basu was associated with South Dum Dum Municipality as vice-chairman. The agency believes nearly 1,000 recruitments across 17 municipalities were made unlawfully during that period. The case has been registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Sujit Basu, who recently lost the Bidhannagar Assembly seat to BJP by over 37,000 votes, became the first former minister to be arrested after the BJP government came to power in Bengal. Arrests spread across Bengal districts The anti-corruption and law-and-order drive has now spread across multiple districts. On Saturday, 23rd May, 17 TMC leaders were arrested in different parts of the state. Among them were Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillor Sudip Polle from Ward No. 123 and Bidhannagar councillor Samrat Baruah, who is facing extortion-related charges. In Jagatballabhpur of Howrah district, gram panchayat deputy president Gurupad Majhi and his brother Raju Majhi were arrested in a post-poll violence case linked to attacks on BJP workers after the 2021 Assembly elections. Hooghly also saw action where Dadpur panchayat member Altab Hussain Malik was arrested in another post-poll violence case. Konnagar municipal councillor Bablu Pal, also known as Khokhan, was arrested over accusations of occupying government land for party offices, running illegal businesses and preparing fake documents for land transactions. The operation was conducted in the presence of BJP MLA Dipanjan Chakraborty. In Nadia district, TMC leader Ramzan Ali Mondal was arrested after residents accused him of intimidation, forcing contractors to buy materials through his syndicate network and running a parallel system in the locality. His associate, Pradeep Santra, was also arrested. Murshidabad strongman Abu Bakkar was caught in a special police operation in an attempted murder case. Meanwhile, in Paschim Bardhaman, panchayat member Sheikh Kamruddin was arrested in cases linked to election-related terror, corruption and extortion. In Dinhata of Behar region, panchayat deputy president Bhavranjan Barman was arrested after accusations that BJP worker Ajay Adhikari was taken to a party office, beaten and asked to pay Rs 50,000. With more than 70 arrests in just one week, the BJP government’s attack on corruption in Bengal has now moved beyond recruitment scams and reached local bodies, municipalities and grassroots organisations, putting several TMC leaders under investigation across the state.