West Bengal's political landscape has been shaken by a major development after senior Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray announced his resignation from both Parliament and the party, marking the first major parliamentary exit from TMC in recent years. The resignation comes at a sensitive moment for the ruling party, which has already been grappling with internal turbulence and political challenges. Ray's departure is being viewed as a significant setback for the TMC leadership, particularly because of his long association with the party and his prominent role in national political debates. Ray's exit is particularly significant because he had often stood by Mamata Banerjee during several major political confrontations and national-level debates. His decision to leave the party therefore carries both symbolic and political weight. WATCH

Fuel prices are back in the political spotlight as the Congress party launches a sharp attack on the Modi government over the latest petrol and diesel price hike. Calling PM Narendra Modi “Mehngai Man”, Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and K C Venugopal accused the Centre of pushing the burden of economic pressure onto ordinary citizens right after elections. The opposition has alleged that while global crude oil prices saw periods of decline, the government failed to provide relief to the public and instead increased fuel costs once polling concluded. Kharge described the situation as a “Modi-made crisis”, linking rising inflation, expensive fuel and growing pressure on middle-class and poor families to the Centre’s economic policies.