Chennai: Polling started this morning for 43 seats in sixth phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal amid tight security. Voting is conducted in nine constituencies each in North Dinajpur and Nadia districts, 17 in North 24 Parganas and eight in East Burdwan.
According to officials, 10,409,948 electorate will decide the fate of 306 candidates among which 27 candidates are female. This is a crucial phase for the ruling Trinamool Congress and the challenger BJP. The Samyukta Morcha of the CPM, Congress and a few smaller parties are contesting.
The 43 seats polling today had hugely contributed to the jump in the BJP’s vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. From 10 per cent in the 2016 assembly polls, the BJP had cornered 41 per cent votes in 2019.
TMC and BJP are contesting all 43 seats. Congress, the Left parties and the Indian Secular Front have made a coalition and are contesting under the banner of Samyukta Morcha.
The Election Commission has turned down the requests of Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien and Congress’s Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to club the remaining phases of polls.