Bengal Phase 2 poll campaign ends; India dominates global heat list; more
Campaigning for the second phase of West Bengal Assembly elections has concluded as 142 constituencies, including Bhabanipur and Panihati, prepare for voting on April 29.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to the Chief Election Commissioner levelling serious charges against the BJP. She has accused the BJP of misusing Form 6, which is used for enrolling new voters, to bring in outsiders as fake voters into West Bengal's electoral rolls. Banerjee alleges that the BJP is manipulating poll forms to commit voter fraud. She further claims that the BJP has followed the same pattern in Bihar, Maharashtra and Delhi earlier, and is now attempting the same in West Bengal. Trinamool Congress number two Abhishek Banerjee visited the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Calcutta, where he levelled similar allegations. The Trinamool Congress has also released footage which they claim is from inside the CEO's office, showing bulk Form 6 submissions by the BJP for addition of names to Bengal's electoral rolls. The Chief Electoral Officer, Manohar Janardhan, has refused to comment but stated he would issue a clarification later.
Campaigning for the second phase of West Bengal Assembly elections has concluded as 142 constituencies, including Bhabanipur and Panihati, prepare for voting on April 29.
As West Bengal gears up for the second and final phase of assembly elections, India Today's Mausami Singh brings this ground report from Kolkata tracking the pulse of Muslim voters, their aspirations and more.
The phase two election campaigning in Bengal concludes with a massive fourteen-kilometer march led by the state Chief Minister. The roadshow covers four key constituencies in South Kolkata, including a highly contested seat where the Chief Minister is seeking a crucial victory. This election is described as a significant survival battle for the ruling party, facing tough competition from the primary opposition following recent controversies. The ruling party relies heavily on welfare schemes targeting women and youth to secure votes in diverse constituencies with mixed demographics. Meanwhile, the opposition claims they will secure a majority, making this one of the most fiercely contested elections in the state. The final results, which will determine if the current leadership secures a fourth term, are scheduled to be announced early next month. The intense campaigning highlights the critical importance of the upcoming polling phase for the political future of the state.
As the election campaign in West Bengal comes to a close, Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed strong confidence in the BJP forming the government in the state with massive majority.