West Bengal is all set for the final match of the power game as the last phase of the Assembly elections will be held today, i.e. April 29. A total of 283 candidates, including 35 women are in the fray in the last phase of the West Bengal polls.
In Phase 8, 35 Assembly constituencies spread across four districts will go to polls. Among these, six are in Malda, eleven in Birbhum, eleven in Murshidabad and seven in Kolkata.
Over 84.77 lakh electorates, including 41.21 lakh women and 158 third gender persons, would be casting their votes at as many as 11,860 polling stations.
Ruling TMC and BJP are contesting on all 35 seats. Congress, the Left parties and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) have made a coalition and are contesting under the banner of Sanyukta Morcha. Out of the 35 seats in this round, Congress has 19 in its share, CPI(M) has 10, RSP has one, AIFB has three and ISF has four seats. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is also trying its luck and has fielded 24 candidates.
The dominance of the Muslim population in the districts of Murshidabad and Malda sets the political dynamics in this region. Traditionally, these districts are considered as the Congress bastion.
Berhampore, the administrative headquarters of Murshidabad, is represented in the Lok Sabha by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. However, the emergence of Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM and the Indian Secular Force (ISF) has impacted the political gradient in this region.
Development, unemployment and migration remain the core issues in these districts.
Campaigning for the eighth and final phase has been a low-key affair, following curbs imposed by the EC in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19 cases in the state.
The EC has banned roadshows and vehicle rallies in the state and noted that the COVID safety norms were being flouted in West Bengal during campaigning.
It also disallowed any public meeting with more than 500 people.
Leaders of political parties chose either the virtual platform or small street-corner meetings for campaigning, which ended on April 26 evening.
West Bengal is undergoing an eight-phased Assembly election. The polling for seven phases has already been completed. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.
(With agency inputs)
