Voting begins in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu state elections

New Delhi: Polling got underway on Thursday in two politically significant Indian states, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, where tens of millions of voters are casting ballots in assembly elections.

According to the reported details, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which governs at the national level, is seeking to expand its presence in both opposition-held states.

West Bengal votes in first phase

In West Bengal, a state with a population of more than 100 million, voting opened in the first phase for 152 constituencies in the 294-member legislative assembly. The remaining 142 seats will go to the polls on April 29.

State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal said nearly 36 million people are eligible to vote in this phase. He also said about 8,000 polling stations had been marked as supersensitive.

The BJP has mounted a strong campaign in an effort to unseat Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has governed the state since 2011. In the last state election in 2021, Banerjee’s party secured 213 seats in the 294-member house.

Security arrangements were tightened for the vote, with paramilitary personnel deployed and heightened vigilance maintained along the border with Bangladesh.

The election campaign in West Bengal was also shaped by protests over the removal of millions of names from voter rolls during a Special Intensive Revision. The exercise was intended to remove ineligible voters, but critics said it was tilted against marginalised and minority communities.

First-time voter Pratik Maity told AFP, “We want employment in our state. We want to live with social dignity.”

Women’s safety and corruption were also among the major issues raised during the campaign.

Tamil Nadu votes in single phase

In Tamil Nadu, which has a population of more than 80 million, polling for the 234-member assembly is being held in a single phase on Thursday.

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is facing its long-standing rival, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). In the state, the BJP is contesting as a junior ally of the AIADMK, but it has struggled to make major electoral gains in the southern state.

Results due on May 4

The results of the elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are scheduled to be announced on May 4.

On the same day, results will also be declared for state elections in Assam and Kerala, as well as in the smaller coastal territory of Puducherry.