West Bengal Rabindranath Tagore. Kolkata is known as the "cultural capital of India". West Bengal is also known for its enthusiasm for the sport of association football, as well as cricket. The origin of the name Bengal ("Bangla" and "Bongo" in Bengali) is unknown. One theory suggests that the word derives from "Bang", a Dravidian tribe that settled the region around 1000BCE. The Bengali word "Bongo" might have been derived from the ancient kingdom of "Vanga" (or "Banga"). Although some early Sanskrit literature mentions the name "Vanga", the region's early history is obscure. At the end of British rule over the Indian
1957 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election between the Communist Party of India, the Praja Socialist Party, the Forward Bloc, Marxist Forward Bloc and the Revolutionary Socialist Party) and the United Left Front (comprising the Socialist Unity Centre of India, the Bolshevik Party of India, the Republican Party and the Democratic Vanguard). A third alliance was the United Democratic People's Front, consisting of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Hindu Mahasabha and the Revolutionary Communist Party of India. The election was won by the Indian National Congress, who got a majority of its own in the assembly. The communists became the largest opposition party. 1957 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election