WEST BENGAL ELECTION 2021

The 294-seat assembly is scheduled to go to polls in eight phases starting from March 27, 2021.The remaining seven phases will be held on April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29. The results of the polls would be announced on May 2. Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress is facing a direct challenge from Bharatiya Janata Party. The Left, which ruled the state for nearly 34 years, has allied with the Indian National Congress to form the third front. In the 2016 assembly elections, the TMC retained power by securing 211 of the 243 seats. The Indian National Congress, with 44 seats, was at the second spot followed by the Communist Party of India (M). The Left party had won 26 seats. However, the BJP was only able to secure a win on three seats. TMC led in the vote share segment by securing over 44% of the votes. The CPI(M)'s vote share dipped by over 10% compared to the last elections. However, both the BJP and Congress were able to increase their vote share by 5.56% and 3.15%, respectively. In the 2011 election, the All India Trinamool Congress in a coalition with INC won a majority and ended the 34-year rule of the Left Front government. The state has over 8.32 crore voters of which 3.63 are male and 3.59 are female voters. The state registered one of the highest voter turnouts in the country and saw over 83% of the voters exercising their franchise. The BJP has accused the TMC of running a corrupt government and failing to implement the "changes" she had promised in 2011 following her historic victory over the Left. The TMC on the other hand has accused the saffron party of communalising the politics of the state. The eight-phase schedule of the polls was criticised by several parties claiming that the staggered dates will benefit the BJP. The election commission, on the other hand, has defended the multi-phase schedule saying that it was necessary keeping in mind the security situation and the Covid-19 protocols. After Bihar, West Bengal, along with Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, would be holding elections under the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic. The Election Commission of India has released a series of Covid guidelines for the poll process. Door-to-door campaigning has been restricted to five people. The roadshows too have been restricted to a maximum of five vehicles. All the election officials will be vaccinated beforehand. The timing of the voting has been extended by an hour to accommodate the delay caused by Covid-19 guidelines. West Bengal Election Schedule 2021