Overview

• The state-run Durga Puja carnival concluded on Red Road on October 5 with thousands in attendance, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee greeted puja committees and briefly joined stage performances.
• Reports differed on participation, with The Hindu citing about 116 pujas and MillenniumPost noting nearly 93 groups parading before immersion along the Hooghly.
• The event was livestreamed on the Chief Minister’s and Kolkata Police’s Facebook pages, with coverage described as reaching millions of viewers.
• MillenniumPost reported the highest-ever turnout of foreign delegates, with several diplomats and consul generals watching the procession.
• With large areas of North Bengal facing floods and reported fatalities in Darjeeling, Opposition figures including Suvendu Adhikari criticized the government’s priorities, while Banerjee said she and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant will visit the region on October 6.