Assembly Elections 2021: Polling Underway In Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala And Puducherry, Check Key Candidates In Fray

The Election Commission is conducting the polls amid heavy security in Bengal and Assam while following the covid-19 health protocols such as checking the temperature of voters among other key measures.

The high voltage Assembly elections in four states -Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Bengal and Puducherry is underway with more than 20 crore people going to vote on Tuesday. The polls are crucial with the results from today will decide the future of a number of significant political figures and parties in respective regions.

Tamil Nadu

Polling in 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu started at 7 am on Tuesday. A total of 3998 candidates including heavyweights like Chief Minister K Palaniswami, deputy CM O Panneerselvam, DMK President M K Stalin, AMMK founder TTV Dhinakaran and Makkal Needhi Maiam President Kamal Haasan are in the fray. Also Read: 'My Entry Into BJP Gave Different Image To The Party', Says Metroman E Sreedharan After Casting His Vote In Kerala

The Election Commission will be conducting the polls with due covid-19 health protocols such as checking the temperature of voters. People started lining up early in the morning eagerly to cast their votes. Actors Rajinikanth and Ajith Kumar were among the early voters in the city.

While the ruling AIADMK is seeking a third term, Stalin-led DMK is making a strong bid to come back to power after a decade of stint in opposition. Polling also began in neighbouring Puducherry this morning.

The polling is seen as the game-changer for the state and decides the fate of AIADMK, which won thrice or pave way for the DMK after a decade in opposition.

West Bengal

In the third phase of high-octane polling in three districts of West Bengal on Tuesday, the state will witness a fierce battle between the ruling Trinamool, BJP and Left Front-led Sanjukta Morcha. The voting began at 7 am on Tuesday for 31 seats in the third phase of the West Bengal assembly elections amid tight security, as per PTI.

Voting is underway with strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols in 16 seats in South 24 Parganas district (part II), seven in Howrah (part I) and eight in Hooghly (part I), they said. Over 78.5 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 205 candidates.

The Election Commission has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in all the constituencies, declaring them as ''sensitive''. Tight security arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful voting, with 618 companies of central forces being deployed to guard 10,871 polling stations.

State police forces have also be deputed at strategic locations to aid the central forces. The elections for the 294 assembly seats in West Bengal are being held in eight phases. The votes will be counted on May 2.

The key candidates contesting include 13 women, and prominent names such as TMC MLAs Ashima Patra (Dhanekhali) and Namita Saha ( Magrahat Purba), BJP leader Swapan Dasgupta (Tarakeswar) and CPI(M) leader Kanti Ganguly (Raidighi).  Of all the candidates, the TMC and BJP have fielded 31 candidates each; 13 each by the BSP and CPI(M); seven by the Congress; two by the All India Forward Bloc; one by the Revolutionary Socialist Party; 68 independents; and 39 from other parties.

Kerala

Voting in Kerala has kicked off on Tuesday for the 140 seats amid heavy security. 'Metroman' E Sreedharan, who is the BJP-NDA candidate from Palakkad constituency was among the early voters in the state. Kerala had witnessed a fierce campaign in the run-up to the polls by the ruling CPI(M) led Left Democratic Front (LDF), Opposition Congress led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP led NDA. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, seven of his cabinet colleagues, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy are among the 957 candidates in fray in the state.

Voting is held amid strict adherence to Covid-19 protocol across the 40,771 polling stations in the state where 2. 74 crore voters will decide the fate of the contestants.

The total electorate includes 1,32,83,724 male voters, 1,41,62,025 female voters and 290 transgenders, according to election commission figures. A total number of 202402 polling personnel will ensure the smooth conduct of the elections and 97 per cent of the officials have been vaccinated, election commission sources said.

Assam

Polling for 40 seats in the final phase of the assembly elections in Assam began at 7 am on Tuesday to decide the fate of 337 candidates, including senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, his five cabinet colleagues and state BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass. The voting began in the 40 constituencies spread over 12 districts. Elections are being held amid tight security as 320 companies of security forces were deployed in the third phase, the highest among all the phases. A direct contest between nominees of the BJP-led NDA and Congress-headed Grand Alliance is on the cards in 20 constituencies while there is a triangular fight, including friendly contests, in the remaining seats with the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) being considered as the third force.

Puducherry

The single-phase elections in Puducherry have kickstarted from Tuesday. The AINRC, which heads the NDA here, is contesting from 16 of the total 30 constituencies, while BJP is seeking election from nine seats and the AIADMK from five.

AINRC leader and former Chief Minister N Rangasamy are fighting elections from two segments-Thattanchavady and Yanam.

The key leaders are AINRC founder leader N. Rangasamy fighting from Thattanchavady in Puducherry and the lone seat in Yanam, an enclave of Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh. The Puducherry PCC president A.V. Subramanian will contest from his hometown of Karaikal (north).

The AIADMK convenors A. Anbalagan and Om Sakthi Segar are also in the fray from Uppalam and Orleanpet segments respectively. Anbalagan has been holding the Uppalam constituency consecutively since 2001. Om Sakthi Segar who was elected to the assembly on two occasions in the past from Nellithope has now moved to Orleanth which is new turf for him.

Narayanasamy, who headed the Congress government here since 2016, has dropped out of the poll battle.

The Congress has re-fielded its woman nominee Vijayaveny in Nettapakkam and similarly, the AINRC has re-fielded B. Kobika and Chandrapriyanka in Thirubhuvai (reserved) and Neduncadu (reserved) constituencies respectively. The AINRC is seeking election from 16 seats after sharing the remaining 14 seats with BJP (nine) and AIADMK (four).

Similarly, the Congress is contesting in 14 seats and supporting an Independent in Yanam while its allies the DMK is seeking election from 13 seats.

(With inputs from PTI)