West Bengal goes to the first phase of polling on Thursday in a tightly contested Assembly election that has sharpened into a polarised battle over identity, citizenship and political dominance, even as traditional debates on jobs and corruption recede.
Voting will be held across 152 of the state’s 294 seats, spanning all 54 constituencies in north Bengal and parts of Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum and Hooghly. Over 3.60 crore voters, including nearly 1.75 crore women, are eligible to cast their ballots.
The first phase is widely seen as crucial for both the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is banking on north Bengal to retain its political relevance in the state. For the TMC, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the challenge is to prevent a BJP surge in its traditional weak zones.
Campaign rhetoric has centred on allegations and counter-allegations over governance, infiltration and voter roll revisions, with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and deletion of names emerging as a flashpoint across several districts.
The Election Commission has deployed 2,450 companies of central forces, with over 8,000 polling stations classified as sensitive, underscoring the intensity of the contest.
The phase also includes a series of high-profile and closely watched battles across north Bengal’s tea gardens, hill constituencies and border districts, each shaped by distinct local concerns ranging from wages and jobs to identity politics.
Counting of votes for all phases will take place on May 4.
