Lok Sabha polls: Rajnath Singh to hold election rallies in Bengal today

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to address public rallies in Murshidabad, Maldah Uttar, and Darjeeling in West Bengal today.

Voting in Darjeeling will be held on April 26. In Murshidabad and Maldah Uttar, voting will be held on May 7.

The first phase of voting recently concluded in the Coochbehar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri parliamentary constituencies. The BJP won in all these constituencies in the last election in 2019.

A high voter turnout was recorded in all three constituencies with 75.54 per cent in Alipurduar, 77.73 per cent in Coochbehar, and 79.33 per cent in Jalpaiguri.

Voting for the remaining constituencies of West Bengal will be held on April 26, May 4, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. The votes will be counted on June 4.

In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), despite being part of the INDIA bloc, does not have a seat-sharing arrangement in the state with the other parties in the alliance, namely the Congress and the Left parties.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has traditionally held a stronghold in West Bengal. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC emerged as the dominant force, securing 34 seats in the state. In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win only 2 seats. The CPI (M) and the Congress won 2 and 4 seats, respectively.

However, the political landscape saw a significant shift in the 2019 polls. The BJP won 18 seats, a stark contrast to their previous tally. The TMC, although still in the lead, saw their seat count reduced to 22. The Congress's representation was reduced to just 2 seats, while the Left Front was unable to secure any seats.

The shift in power dynamics has created a highly competitive political environment. The BJP party, having won the 2019 elections, is now making a concentrated effort to unseat the TMC from its stronghold and become the dominant political force in West Bengal. The upcoming elections will be a pivotal moment for both parties as they seek to demonstrate their political strength and gain the upper hand.