Voting begins for phase 5 of Assembly elections in West Bengal

Kolkata: West Bengal holds Phase 5 of its legislative elections on Saturday as candidates from Trinamool Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) go head-to-head in 45 constituencies spanning across 6 districts. Electorates of several North Bengal districts like Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Darjeeling along with a segment of Purbo Bardhaman, North 24 Parganas and Nadia will exercise their universal franchise on May 17. The elections in Bengal come amid a surge of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases across the nation as well as in Bengal.

During phase 5, 319 candidates are in fray out of which 39 are women. Darjeeling, Kurseong, Matigara-Naxalbari, Siliguri, Phansidewa, Dhupguri, Maynaguri, Jalpaiguri, Rajganj, Dabgram-Phulbari, Mal, Nagrakata and Kalimpong will vote in Phase 5 of the Assembly elections.

Nadia’s Santipur, Ranaghat Uttar Paschim, Krishnaganj, Ranaghat Uttar Purba, Ranaghat Dakshin, Chakdaha, Kalyani and Haringhata will vote in today’s phase.

Electorates in North 24 Parganas' Bidhannagar, Madhyamgram, Rajarhat Gopalpur, Rajarhat New Town, Baranagar, Kamarhati, Haroa, Minakhan, Barasat, Deganga, Sandeshkhali, Basirhat Dakshin, Basirhat Uttar, Hingalganj, Panihati and Dum Dum will cast their universal franchise today.

Purba Bardhaman's Raina, Jamalpur, Manteswar, Kalna, Memari, Bardhaman Uttar, Khandaghosh and Bardhaman Dakshin will vote in West Bengal's Phase 5 elections.

Several key regions like north Bengal and Naxalbari will go into polls in Phase V in Bengal. Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Jalpaiguri noticed social turbulence since the demand for Gorkhaland by Nepali-speaking Gorkhas remained a long-standing demand. In this election, the Binoy Tamang-led faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is supporting the Trinamool Congress. Naxalbari, which was the home of the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency head to polls on Saturday.