Campaigning ends for April 11 polls in Bengal

Campaigning came to an end on Saturday for the second part of the opening phase of the West Bengal assembly polls, involving 31 seats in three districts which go to the hustings on Monday.

Thirteen of the constituencies are in West Medinipur, and nine each in Bankura and Bardhaman.

Nearly 70 lakh (69,90,900) voters across 8,465 polling stations including two auxiliary stations would decide the fate of 163 candidates -- 21 of them female.

Political big shots like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Trinamool Congress supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were among those who hit the campaign trail.

The Trinamool, the Left Front-Congress combination and the BJP are contesting all the seats.

Among major candidates are Leader of Opposition and CPI-M state secretary Surjyakanta Mishra (Narayangarh), state BJP president Dilip Ghosh (Kharagpur Sadar), former ministers and Congress stalwarts Manas Bhunia (Sabong) and Gyan Singh Sohanpal (Kharagpur Sadar).

Bengali film star Soham Chakraborty is also in the fray on a Trinamool ticket from Barjora.