- By Aditya Jha
- Sat, 25 Apr 2026 11:56 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Bengal Polls: The campaigning for the West Bengal Assembly election is intensified ahead of the polling for the second phase on April 29. The eastern state witnessed record voter turnout in the first phase conducted on 152 of the total 294 seats. However, the focus has now shifted to the remaining 142 seats, traditionally considered a stronghold of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC). The BJP will try to breach the ruling party's fortress to form its government for the first time in Bengal.
The polling in the second phase will be held across eight districts, including Howrah, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Kolkata North, and Kolkata South. Along with 11 seats in both Kolkata districts, the southern region is politically prominent, as Howrah has 16, Nadia 17, North 24 Parganas 33, South 24 Parganas 31, Hooghly 18, and Purba Bardhaman 16 constituencies.
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Earlier in the 2021 assembly election, the Mamata Banerjee-led party registered a huge victory in the region by winning 123 of the 142 constituencies. While the BJP managed to win 18 seats, the remaining one seat was won by the Left's ally Indian Secular Front (ISF).
One of the most discussed constituencies in Bengal polls is Bhabanipur, where BJP firebrand leader Suvendu Adhikari is taking on his former boss Mamata Banerjee. Adhikari managed to defeat the TMC supremo in the 2021 polls in Nandigram; however, Bhabanipur is considered a stronghold of Banerjee, making the contest tight.
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While addressing a rally, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the higher voter turnout suggested an anger towards the policies of the BJP. "Do you know why voter turnout is so high even after deletion of so many names? It is because people know that this election is a fight to safeguard their rights. Because after this, they (BJP) will implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC)," she stated.