As the sixth phase of voting for West Bengal Assembly polls will be held on Thursday, the election battlefield is gearing up for the next bout of ‘Khela’. In Phase-VI, polling will be held in 43 constituencies in four districts to decide the fate of a total of 306 candidates including 27 women. Among the 43 constituencies, nine are in Uttar Dinajpur, eight in Purba Bardhaman, nine in Nadia and 17 are in the North 24 Parganas district.
Development and unemployment dominate the core issues. However, the districts of North 24 Parganas and Purba Bardhaman have experienced a bit of development as compared to the other districts. But, the lack of employment opportunities haunts the ruling government.
The BJP is targeting the incumbent TMC over ‘tolabaazi’ (extortion), ‘cut money’ and syndicate raj and appeasement politics. Plus, an air of anti-incumbency can also be felt against the ruling TMC government in the state. However, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is banking upon its welfare schemes like “Duare Sarkar’, ‘Swastho Sathi’ and ‘Kanyashree’.
TMC and BJP are contesting all 43 seats. Congress, the Left parties and the Indian Secular Front have made a coalition and are contesting under the banner of Samyukta Morcha. Out of the 43 seats in this round, Congress has got 12 in its share, CPI(M) got 23, All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) got four and CPI has got two seats. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is also trying its luck and has fielded 37 candidates.
The most high-profile candidate in this phase is BJP national vice president Mukul Roy who is contesting from the Krishnanagar Uttar Assembly constituency in Nadia district. Roy, the former railway minister and Rajya Sabha MP, was previously associated with the TMC.
TMC has fielded actor Koushani Mukherjee and Congress has fielded Sylvie Saha from the Krishnanagar Uttar Assembly constituency against Roy.
TMC heavyweight Chandrima Bhattacharya is contesting from the Dum Dum Uttar constituency. Tanmoy Bhattacharya and Archana Majumdar are the CPI(M) and BJP candidates respectively from the seat.
In the Raiganj Assembly constituency in Uttar Dinajpur district, TMC has fielded Kanaia Lal Agarwal against sitting Congress MLA Mohit Sengupta, who has been representing the seat since 2011. BJP has fielded Krishna Kalyani from the seat.
Members of the Matua community and those who reside in Nadia district on the India-Bangladesh border would play a key role in the sixth phase of the West Bengal Assembly poll on Thursday. Karimpur, Thatta, Palashipara, Kaliganj, Nakashipara, Chapra, Krishnanagar Uttar, Nabadwip, and Krishnanagar Dakshin are the nine seats that will go to polls.
(With ANI inputs)