Around 3.6 crore voters in 152 of the state’s 294 constituencies across 16 districts — including Nandigram and north Bengal’s Darjeeling, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar — are expected to vote today. A close contest is expected in at least 80 seats.
After three straight terms since 2011, when she toppled the 35-year CPM regime, many say this could be the toughest election Mamata Banerjee is facing. A similar tag, though, was bestowed in 2021, when Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress had scooped up 215 seats — their best performance. The BJP had won 77 seats.
The BJP has been whittling away at the Trinamool’s initial advantage, relentlessly flagging the corruption, law and order issues and the lack of development that has mired Bengal for over five decades.
The Trinamool has projected the contest as one of self-determination against outsiders — from food to culture — and of survival against a Centre that refuses to release state funds.
What has had the ruling party concerned is the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of the voter list that has knocked off around 89 lakh voters — roughly 11.6 per cent of the state’s electorate. The figure is slightly more than the winning margin of the Trinamool Congress in 2021.
In 2021, Banerjee’s party had polled 10 per cent more votes — 48 per cent to the BJP’s 38 per cent. The SIR impact, figures show, have pared down the voter list by more than 11.6 per cent in multiple districts where the Trinamool’s winning margin is slim.
The prominent Trinamool Congress candidates contesting in this phase include Goutam Deb from Siliguri, Udayan Guha from Dinhata, Firhad Hakim from Kolkata Port area and Pabitra Kar from Nandigram.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is contesting from his stronghold Nandigram. He is also challenging Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, which goes to polls in the second phase. Key BJP faces also include Union Minister Nisith Pramanik from Mathabhanga and former state president Dilip Ghosh from Kharagpur Sadar.
The Election Commission has turned the state into a fortress, deploying an unprecedented 2,407 Central Armed Police Forces companies comprising over 2.4 lakh personnel.
The second phase of the election in Bengal will be held on April 29. The counting of votes will be held on May 4.
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