Final Phase Voting in Bengal Turns Into Make-or-Break Contest for BJP, Trinamool

Kolkata: The second and last phase of assembly elections is taking place in West Bengal today. Voting has started from 7 am and in this phase voting is going on for 142 seats out of 294. The contest is believed to be a direct contest between Trinamool Congress and BJP, although Congress and left parties are also in the fray.

What was the picture in the first phase?

Voting was held for 152 seats in North Bengal in the first phase on April 23. During this time, a record-breaking turnout was seen, more than 93 percent people came to cast their votes. After so much voting, now every party is telling it in its favor, but the real picture will become clear only on the day of results.

Why has South Bengal become the center of elections?

This time the real contest is being considered in South Bengal only. Areas like Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia, Hooghly and 24 Parganas fall in this phase. This area has been a strong stronghold of Trinamool for the last several years. It is a big challenge for BJP to improve its performance here, hence the party has put in all its strength.

Which seat is discussed the most?

Bhawanipur seat has become the most talked about seat of this election. Here Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and BJP's Suvendu Adhikari are face-to-face. This is being seen as a contest from Nandigram, hence everyone's eyes are fixed on this seat. Apart from this, many seats of 24 Parganas are also considered very important.

Which other seats are under discussion?

There is also interesting competition for seats like Tollygunge, Panihati and Kolkata Port. The elections in these places have become even more interesting because of the profiles of the candidates and the local issues.

Why did the controversy arise regarding voter list?

In this phase, many questions have also been raised regarding the voter list. A large number of names have been removed at many places. In some seats, the number of removed voters is said to be more than the previous victory margin. In such a situation, it may affect the results.

Does the threat of violence still exist?

The fear of violence always remains in Bengal elections and this time too it has not completely ended. Some incidents had come to light in the first phase. Now security forces are on alert in the second phase also so that voting can be completed peacefully.