Phase 2 Assembly Elections 2021: Voting Underway In West Bengal, Assam; List Of Key Constituencies, Check Candidates In Fray

The most high-profile electoral contest in second phase in West Bengal will be witnessed in Nandigram, with Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee pitted against her former protege, Suvendu Adhikari, who will contest on the BJP ticket this time.

Image ANI

With two key states gripped in election fever and the high-octane poll campaign coming to an end paving way for the second phase of elections in West Bengal and Assam, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to woo voters in both states.

BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari cast his vote from a polling booth in Nandigram as the second phase of polling in the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021  kickstarted on Thursday. The most high-profile electoral contest in this phase will be witnessed in Nandigram, part of the East Midnapore district with Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee pitted against her former protege, Suvendu Adhikari, who will contest on the BJP ticket this time.

Check out key candidates in West Bengal Phase-2 elections

West Bengal is undergoing 2nd phase of elections today. In phase two, voting has begun to select members for 30 constituencies.  Voting is underway amid strict Covid-19 guidelines in nine seats of Paschim Medinipur, eight in Bankura, four seats in South 24 Parganas, and nine seats in Purba Medinipur, the home turf of Suvendu Adhikari.

Nandigram also comes within the Purba Medinipur district. The state has been witnessing violent political clashes between the TMC and BJP with both sides claiming several lives over the last few days, prompting the Election Commission to deploy such a massive number of central forces.

After the second phase gets over, the third phase will start on April 6, phase-IV on April 10, phase-V on April 17, phase-VI on April 22, phase-VII on April 26 and phase-VIII on April 29.  High-voltage campaign for Nandigram ended on Tuesday with a massive roadshow of Amit Shah for Suvendu, and a series of public meetings by Mamata Banerjee. Suvendu Adhikari is the sitting MLA from Nandigram, which falls under Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency currently held by BJP leader’s brother Dibyendu Adhikari.

In Panskura Paschim, TMC’s Firoza Bibi, who has won twice from Nandigram, is taking on Shintu Senapati of the saffron party and Chittaranjan Das Thakur of the Left. In Moyna, former cricketer Ashoke Dinda is the BJP candidate against Sangram Kumar Dolui of ruling Trinamool and Manik Bhownik of the Congress. Polling for phase one had taken place on March 27

Total 73,80,942 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase. Of them, 37,52,938 are male and 36,27,949 female, while there are 55 third gender voters.

West Bengal is voting in eight phases for 294 seats. The votes will be counted on May 2.

Check out main candidates in Assam Phase-2 elections

In the Assam election, Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) emerged as a key poll issue with Congress trying to counter the BJP. The voting for phase-2 has started on Thursday, (April 1).

Political parties in around 39 constituencies will be wooing voters in Phase-2. All the 39 constituencies are spread over 13 districts of the Barak Valley, three hill districts, and parts of central and lower Assam. The Barak Valley has 15 seats in the 126-member state assembly.

Around 345 candidates will be contesting the elections. Prominent faces from the BJP include ministers Parimal Suklabaidya from Dholai, Bhabesh Kalita from Rangiya, Pijush Hazarika from Jagiroad, Deputy Speaker Aminul Haque Laskar from Sonai, Sum Ronghang from Diphu, Rihon Daimary from Udalguri, Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary from Panery, former Congress minister Siddeque Ahmed from Karimganj South, sitting MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha from Karimganj North, sitting AIUDF MLAs Suzamuddin Laskar from Katlicherra and Nizamuddin Choudhury form Algapur. Others in the fray are AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal’s brother Sirajuddin Ajmal, a former MP and MLA, who will be fighting from Jamunamukh, former Congress spokesperson Durga Das Boro will be contesting as a BPF candidate from Kalaigaon, former Deputy Speaker Dilip Kumar Paul, who resigned from the BJP after being denied a ticket, is contesting as an Independent from Silchar, and former Congress minister Gautam Roy is contesting on a BJP ticket from Katigora.