Bengal polls: Stage set for high-stakes battle for 152 seats; Amit Shah says BJP will form govt in Bengal

The countdown for the first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections has begun, with 152 out of 294 seats going to the polls tomorrow. Over 3.6 crore voters will decide the fate of more than a thousand candidates across 16 districts, spanning from North Bengal to the southern regions. A major issue in this election is the deletion of over 91 lakh names from the electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision, which accounts for nearly 12 percent of the electorate. This exclusion has caused significant unease, especially in border districts where voters are struggling to find their names. The phase features high-stakes contests in crucial constituencies that could shape the entire election. Meanwhile, the Home Minister, while campaigning in Sonarpur, expressed strong confidence in securing a decisive majority. The campaign trail highlighted critical issues such as women's safety, political violence, and the ongoing war of words between the ruling party and the opposition over controversial remarks directed at the Prime Minister.