As the Lok Sabha elections progress, West Bengal emerges as a crucial battleground, with eight constituencies gearing up for polling in the fourth phase. Among the notable candidates whose fate hangs in the balance are Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, TMC's Shatrughan Sinha, Mahua Moitra, and Yusuf Pathan, along with BJP's S S Ahluwalia and Dilip Ghosh.
Spread across districts like Murshidabad, Nadia, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, and Birbhum, these constituencies are poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the state's political landscape. Issues flagged by voters range from migrant labor concerns to drinking water supply and the drying up of industries. Additionally, the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) notification remains a bone of contention between the TMC and BJP in certain areas.
The eight constituencies heading to polls include Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat (SC), Bardhaman Purba (SC), Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur (SC), and Birbhum.
Significantly, a total of 1,45,30,017 voters, including 71,45,379 women and 282 third-gender electors, are eligible to exercise their franchise across 15,507 polling stations for the eight constituencies. The Election Commission has identified 3,647 polling stations as "critical" across the constituencies, where heightened security measures will be in place.
Star candidates add further intrigue to the electoral contest, with Shatrughan Sinha seeking re-election from Asansol, pitted against BJP's S S Ahluwalia. In Krishnanagar, Mahua Moitra of TMC faces off against BJP's Amrita Roy, while former Bengali cine celebrity Satabdi Roy seeks a fourth term from Birbhum.
Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a stalwart in Baharampur, faces stiff competition from TMC's Yusuf Pathan and BJP's Nirmal Kumar Saha. BJP's Dilip Ghosh, known for his controversial remarks, contests from Bardhaman-Durgapur against TMC's Kirti Azad. Meanwhile, BJP's Jagannath Sarkar is seeking a re-election from Ranaghat constituency, while, Asit Kumar Mal is seeking re-election from Bolpur on a TMC ticket, having been pitted against Priya Saha of BJP and Shyamali Pradhan of CPI(M).
As voters prepare to exercise their democratic right, West Bengal braces for a heated electoral battle that will shape the political landscape of the state for next five years.
(With inputs from PTI)
