‘Khela hobe’: West Bengal to go for first phase polling on 30 seats tomorrow

Kolkata: The first phase of elections in high-stakes poll battle in West Bengal will be held on Saturday with both the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeking to outdo each other in poll promises and campaign rhetoric. While the BJP is striving to form its first government in the state, the Left-ISF-Congress alliance is also striving to spring a surprise. Thirty seats go to the polls in the first phase and include all constituencies in Purulia and Jhargram and some constituencies from Bankura, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur. Elections to 294 constituencies in the state will be held in eight phases till April 29 and the results will be declared on May 2. The first phase of polling will decide the electoral fate of 191 candidates including 21 women. TMC had won 27 out of these 30 seats in the 2016 elections and BJP was not a major player in the last polls. However, the party has gained in strength in the past five years and has emerged as the main challenger to the ruling party which has won two successive assembly polls. The BJP won 18 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections against 22 won by the TMC. Congress had won two seats going to the polls in the first phase and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) had won one seat. Prime Minister Narendra Modiand senior BJP leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and party chief JP Nadda campaigned in the first phase. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has led the Trinamool campaign. She had earlier this month sustained "severe bone injuries" on her left foot and ankle as well as bruises and injuries on her shoulder, forearm and neck, according to the report of her initial medical examination. She sustained injuries while on a visit to Nandigram, from where she is contesting the polls to take on her former ministerial colleague Suvendu Adhikari, who has joined the BJP. Nandigram will go to the polls in the second phase. Mamata Banerjee was discharged from the hospital on March 12 and she has been campaigning in a wheelchair.(ANI)