35 assembly constituencies in West Bengal will go to polls in the eighth and final phase of elections today, wrapping up a contentious, hard-fought and sometimes vitriolic campaign. Voting will be held at 11,860 polling stations spread over 11 assembly constituencies each in Murshidabad and Birbhum, six in Malda and seven in Kolkata. Security measures have been heightened in view of the violence in the previous phases, particularly the death of five people in Cooch Behar in the fourth round of polling on April 10. The poll panel has decided to deploy at least 641 companies of Central forces, including 224 in Birbhum district.
TMC under EC fire
The Election Commission on Tuesday placed Trinamool Congress Birbhum president Anubrata Mondal under strict surveillance from 5pm till Friday 7am, an official said. The decision was taken in the wake of the chief electoral officer receiving "several complaints against Mondal", he said. "In view of the feedback received from various sources and as per the report of the DEO and SP, Birbhum, the commission has directed that Mondal be under strict surveillance of the executive magistrate and CAPF for ensuring free and fair elections," the official said. During this period, videography would be conducted "with date and stamping".
The Commission on Tuesday had also issued a notice to senior Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim for a speech allegedly inciting violence. The move came after the BJP alleged that Hakim had incited voters to carry out violence against the party. According to a portion of his speech made part of the notice, the senior TMC leader had asked people to hit BJP members. He also reportedly made remarks against a central police force deployed in the state.
What is the significance of the final phase?
Polling will be held in six constituencies of Malda, 11 in Murshidabad, seven in Kolkata North and 11 in Birbhum. 11 candidates each have been fielded by Trinamool Congress, BSP and BJP, CPI(M) is contesting in four seats, Congress in three, AIFB in 2 and RSP (1).
Three-cornered contests are expected in many of the 17 constituencies in Malda and Murshidabad districts where the Left-Congress-ISF combine has a stronghold apart from the TMC and the BJP.
The focus in this phase of polling will be on five assembly constituencies in Kolkata north—Beleghata, Jorsanko, Shyampukur, Maniktala, Kashipur-Belgachia—as neck and neck contest is expected between TMC heavyweights and BJP challengers. In Shyampukur seat, state minister for Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Shashi Panja is contesting against BJP's Sandipan Biswas and AIFB's Jiban Prakash Saha. In Beleghata, TMC has fielded Paresh Paul against BJP's Kashinath Biswas and CPI(M)'s Rajib Biswas.
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and her party MP Abhishek Banerjee held virtual campaigns as did Prime Minister Narendra Modi from New Delhi. BJP president J.P. Nadda, it's West Bengal head Dilip Ghosh, Bollywood superstar Mithun Chakraborty and other star campaigners like Smriti Irani held small rallies to campaign for the party's candidates contesting in the eighth phase of polling.
The BJP leaders attacked Banerjee and her nephew and other party leaders, alleging that they were involved in the Saradha and Narada tapes scams. The saffron party also claimed that they were responsible for siphoning of funds allocated for Amphan cyclone and COVID-19 pandemic relief. The BJP leaders maintained that corruption and anarchy are prevalent in West Bengal and that the party will put an end to it after coming to power in the state.
The TMC supremo hit out at the BJP for the rising prices of petrol, diesel and LPG and also held it responsible for the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the country. She also alleged that the prime minister in order to capture West Bengal had forgotten about the entire country which is facing a crisis because of the COVID-19 second wave.
-Inputs from PTI
