The high-stakes West Bengal Assembly elections began on Thursday (April 23), where voters are deciding the future of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her government. The election process is being conducted in two phases, with a large number of constituencies voting in the first phase.
Phase 1 Voting Details
In the first phase, a total of 152 assembly constituencies are going to the polls. These include:
- All 54 seats in North Bengal’s eight districts
- Several constituencies from Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum, and Hooghly
This phase is considered very important as it covers a significant portion of the state.
Political Competition
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Mamata Banerjee, is aiming to win a fourth consecutive term in the state.
On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to form the government in West Bengal for the first time. The party has conducted a strong campaign across the state and is focusing heavily on voter outreach.
Key Political Issues
- The BJP is hoping to benefit from anti-incumbency sentiment against the TMC government
- It has also highlighted issues like migration and infiltration
- Mamata Banerjee has described the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “outsiders”
- TMC is focusing on maintaining its stronghold, especially in South Bengal
Voting Statistics & Security
- Over 3.60 crore voters are eligible to vote
- This includes around 1.75 crore women voters
- The Election Commission has deployed 2,450 companies of central security forces
- More than 8,000 polling stations have been identified as highly sensitive