Tuning into Kolkata’s mann ki baat

Newslaundry has landed in Kolkata for the final leg of this election season, and we are bringing you unfiltered voices from the ground.

A corporate employee tells us she can’t speak her mind openly for fear of backlash from supporters of rival parties: “There is no freedom [to express opinions].” A cleric questions the voter roll deletions: “If you want to win an election, win it by showing your work. Why are you winning by striking off names?” A housewife hints at deep-seated grievances but holds back: “There's a lot [to say], but there’s no one to listen.”

And a Class 12 student is blunt about Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee: “Should change our Chief Minister. I don’t like her personally, after that incident of RG Kar (hospital rape-murder case).”

We also look at how the deeply controversial Special Investigation Report (SIR) has come to dominate political conversation across the state.

Stay tuned as we catch the election rallies, colour, and most importantly, the voices that matter.

Elections are not just about who wins, but about the questions that often go unasked – and this time, they matter more than ever. Support our new NL Sena on the five upcoming assembly polls to help us follow the missing voters, the shifting politics, and the stories that could shape India’s future.