The first phase of Assembly elections began today at 7 a.m. in Assam and Bengal. Polling is taking place in 47 seats in Assam and in 30 seats in Bengal. Over 1.54 crore people are expected to vote in the first phases of polls in Assam and Bengal, and, decide the fate of key candidates of national and regional parties.
In West Bengal, the political rumble has been going on between the ruling TMC and the central government for months. Both the parties will contest to outdo each other in the assembly elections. While in Assam, the BJP is facing the grand alliance or the Congress-led ‘mahajot’ to retain its power. In the 2016 WB elections, The Trinamool Congress had won 26 out of 30 seats. In Assam, the BJP had delivered a similar performance having won 35 out of the 47 seats. The polling booth in both the states shall be opened till 6 p.m, it has been extended for an hour because of the protocol being followed due to the covid-19 pandemic. A voter turnout of 7.5 per cent was recorded and Bengal registered 5 per cent in the same duration.
Here are some significant key points of the ongoing elections :
(i) Five districts of West Bengal- Jhagram, Purulia, Banura, West Medinipur and East Medinipur, with a voter count of over 73 Lakhs will vote in around 10,200 booths during the first phase of Bengal 2021 elections. In Assam, around 81 lakh voters are about to cast their votes across the upper Assam area and parts of Central Assam with over 11,000 polling booths and around 2,000 auxiliary booths that are being set up in the state.
(ii) Out of the 30 seats in Bengal, BJP is going to contest with 29 and one seat has been given to the AJSU- All India Jharkhand Students Union. The Trinamool Congress is also going to contest on 29 seats and one seat has been allotted to support an independent candidate for contesting. The congress is likely to run third and has been delivering moderate election performances and is contesting on just 5 seats. Congress’s alliance partner, the left-led parties will contest the majority out of which the CPM will fight with 18 seats and CPI with 4.
(iii) In Assam, the BJP will be contesting 39 out of the 47 seats and its alliance party AGP- Ason Gana Parishad will contest on 10 seats. The two parties will go smooth in what is said to be an amicable and friendly contest. The Congress has its grand alliance formed in Assam and will contest on 43 seats, in which one each is for the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the AIDUF, the CPIML and the AGM. The third option for the voters in the state would be Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), which was started last year by the Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad and All Assam Students Union.
(iv) The results of the Bengal and Assam elections along with that of Puducherry, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will be declared on May 2nd.
