intense-campaigning-ends-in-bengal-for-ls-polls

The curtains have drawn on the high-octane campaign for the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, marked by a series of energetic roadshows by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in and around Kolkata.

 

This campaign, which spanned two and a half months, included all six previous phases in which the state voted.

 

Campaigning ended at 6 pm on Thursday for the polls scheduled on Saturday in nine Lok Sabha constituencies: Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, and Kolkata Uttar.

 

The final phase is crucial for TMC heavyweights such as Abhishek Banerjee, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, and Saugata Roy, in regions traditionally seen as Mamata Banerjee’s strongholds.

 

Meanwhile, the BJP is betting on candidates like former TMC member Tapas Roy and Sandeshkhali newcomer Rekha Patra.

 

The Left-Congress alliance, with seasoned candidates like Sujan Chakraborty and newcomers such as Srijan Bhattacharya, aims to disrupt the TMC-BJP duopoly and carve out a significant vote share.

 

A total of 1.63 crore voters—83.19 lakh men, 80.20 lakh women, and 538 third-gender individuals—are eligible to cast their ballots at 17,470 polling stations on June 1.

 

The campaign has been intense, often marred by the use of unparliamentary language, verbal duels, and cross-trading of accusations.

 

Since the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the polls in mid-March, strategies and issues have frequently shifted.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spearheaded the BJP campaign, addressing 19 public meetings in the state and holding his first-ever roadshow in Kolkata.

 

On the other side, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led the TMC’s counter-offensive, addressing over 150 rallies and participating in several roadshows.

 

Supporting Modi were Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda, alongside state leaders Suvendu Adhikari and Sukanta Majumdar.

 

Abhishek Banerjee, contesting from Diamond Harbour, played a crucial role in the TMC’s outreach, complementing the Chief Minister’s efforts.

 

In the Kolkata Dakshin constituency, TMC’s veteran candidate Mala Roy faces former Union Minister Debasree Chaudhuri from the BJP. In Jadavpur, TMC’s Sayonee Ghosh contends with CPI(M)’s Srijan Bhattacharya and BJP’s Anirban Ganguly.

 

A significant contest is anticipated in the Kolkata Uttar seat between Sudip Bandyopadhyay and his former TMC colleague Tapas Roy, now representing the BJP. In Basirhat, the BJP has fielded Rekha Patra, alleged to be a victim of TMC atrocities, against TMC’s former MP Haji Nurul Islam and CPI(M)’s Nirapada Sardar.

 

Among the 124 contestants in the seventh phase, Kolkata Dakshin has the highest number of candidates at 17, followed by Jadavpur with 16, and Basirhat and Kolkata Uttar with 15 each. Dum Dum has 14 candidates, while Barasat, Diamond Harbour, and Mathurapur (SC) each have 12. Jaynagar (SC) has 11 candidates.

 

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi led a grand roadshow in North Kolkata in support of BJP candidates Tapas Roy and Silbhadra Dutta. In response, Mamata Banerjee held a counter-roadshow along the same route within 24 hours.

 

On the campaign’s final day, a sultry Thursday afternoon, Banerjee walked 12 kilometers across Jadavpur and Kolkata Dakshin, adding a dramatic end to her three-month-long electioneering.

 

Abhishek Banerjee also participated in two rallies from Maheshtala in the city’s western fringes.

 

BJP’s state president Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari led two roadshows each—Majumdar in Kolkata and Adhikari in Salt Lake and South Kolkata.

 

The ECI has decided to deploy 960 companies of central forces to ensure a peaceful voting process on Saturday, with polling scheduled from 7 AM to 6 PM.

 

Throughout the campaign, the BJP highlighted issues such as coal and cattle smuggling, recruitment irregularities in schools, and land grabs and atrocities in Sandeshkhali.

 

TMC leaders countered by accusing the BJP-led central government of withholding funds meant for the West Bengal government and misusing central agencies like the CBI and ED to harass opposition leaders.