LIVE | Assembly elections: West Bengal phase- 2 voting in high-stakes contest

A total of 142 out of 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal will vote in a high-stakes contest, with results to be counted on May 4.

Summary

Elections for 142 Assembly seats in West Bengal will be held on Wednesday, with over 1,448 candidates in the fray, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

In a summer marked by multiple elections, polling in Kerala, Assam, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and Phase 1 of West Bengal has already concluded.

In the first phase of polling, held across 152 seats, the state witnessed a massive turnout of 92.72 per cent, the highest since Independence. The results of the elections will be declared on May 4, along with those of other states and the Union Territory.

Voting on Wednesday will decide the fate of 1,448 candidates, including 1,228 men and 220 women.

A total of over 3.22 crore voters, including 1.64 crore male electors, 1.57 crore female electors, and 792 third-gender voters, are expected to participate.

Polling will be held at 41,001 stations, with webcasting covering all polling stations.

The EC has put in place extensive security arrangements, deploying 2,321 companies of central forces across seven districts. A total of 142 general observers, 95 police observers and 100 expenditure observers have been deployed. Officials said drones fitted with cameras are also being used to monitor the poll process.

Polling will begin at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm.

Mamata vs Suvendu : TMC’s emotional pitch meets BJP’s caste calculus in Bhabanipur battle

In West Bengal’s electoral calculus, Bhabanipur has emerged as the X factor.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee faces a tough contest from the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari in her long-held bastion, making it the state’s most closely watched Assembly seat.

While the Trinamool Congress is looking to retain its stronghold in south Kolkata with organisational strength and emotion, the BJP wants to breach the keep by banking on social arithmetic and symbolism.

The fight is reminiscent of the electoral clash between Banerjee and Adhikari in the 2021 Assembly polls, when the chief minister had taken on her protege-turned-rival, who had then just joined the BJP, in the latter's home turf, Nandigram.

Banerjee had lost the fight, although the BJP had been drubbed by the TMC five years ago. She later won the Bhabanipur Assembly bypolls.

The turf has changed, and it remains to be seen if the result does too.

Mamata Banerjee's party is banking on the "'ghorer meye' (girl next door)" pitch, organisational muscle and continuity.

On the other hand, the BJP is looking to wrest the chief minister's "safest" seat with caste calculations, Ram Navami imagery and booth-level social engineering.

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How south Bengal voted in 2021

The southern region, considered a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will be crucial in determining the final outcome.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the TMC delivered a dominant performance in south Bengal, securing 123 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win 18 seats in the region, reflecting a significant but limited presence. The Left Front, won one seat.

Given these past trends, south Bengal remains a key focus area for all major political players, with its voting patterns likely to have a decisive impact on the overall results.

Key constituencies

Among the constituencies going to the polls in this phase, Bhangar has the highest number of candidates at 19, while Goghat has the lowest with five, reflecting a varied electoral contest across districts.

Key candidates in this phase include Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is seeking re-election from Bhabanipur.

She is pitted against BJP heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari in one of the most high-profile contests of the phase.

In Kolkata Port, senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim is up against BJP candidate Rakesh Singh, with the minority-dominated constituency seen as crucial for the ruling party in central Kolkata.

Other important seats include Bhatpara, Jagatdal and Barrackpur, Bangaon, Dumdum, Sandeshkhali, Hingalganj, Ranaghat Uttar and Dakshin, Rashbehari, Jadavpur and Ballygunge.