Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The stage is all set for high-stakes electoral battle as West Bengal and Tamil Nadu head to the assembly elections on Thursday (April 23).Tamil Nadu is voting in a single phase across all 234 seats, while West Bengal will vote for 152 seats in this phase.The second phase of West Bengal assembly contest will be held on April 29. Both the poll-bound states, governed by regional heavyweights, have witnessed an intense, high-decibel campaign. The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) brigade led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah, has pushed hard to challenge Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin, while Rahul Gandhi and other leaders added to the campaign blitz.Amit Shah struck an aggressive note, saying, “In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Congress will not even cross double digits.”Even as political rhetoric peaked, the Election Commission tightened its vigil. Cash, liquor, drugs and other inducements worth over Rs 1,000 crore have been seized across both states, with total recoveries touching Rs 1,072.13 crore since February 26.On the ground, Tamil Nadu saw large-scale movement of Electronic Voting Machines and polling materials under heavy security cover. West Bengal, meanwhile, witnessed significant deployment of central forces, a move questioned by Mamata Banerjee, who asked, “are they trying to intimidate?”She also flagged the use of CRPF armoured vehicles during polling, alleging that the BJP-led Centre was deploying state machinery to sway the electoral outcome, as voters prepare to cast their ballots in a fiercely contested race.
West Bengal
The key seats in the first phase of the West Bengal assembly battle include Suvendu Adhikari’s Nandigram, where he had earlier defeated sitting chief minister Mamata Banerjee.Mamata Banerjee has since shifted to Bhabanipur, while Suvendu Adhikari continues to politically challenge her, as he has filed his nomination papers from Bhabanipur as well.Other important constituencies in this phase include Darjeeling, Siliguri, and Jalpaiguri. Campaigning for the phase concluded on April 21.
North Bengal key focus
North Bengal remains the central focus of Phase 1, with 54 assembly seats voting in this round.In Nandigram, Suvendu Adhikari is contesting against Trinamool Congress candidate Pabitra Kar, along with other contenders, making it one of the most closely watched contests.
Mamata seeks to retain Kolkata throne
The battle for West Bengal remains intense as chief minister Mamata Banerjee seeks to retain power and consolidate voter support, while the BJP looks to build on its strong surge in 2021.Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah have pushed the slogan “sonar bangla” targeting Mamata Banerjee’s “Bohiragata” narrative. The BJP has also sharpened its attack on issues such as law and order and infiltration, citing incidents like RG Kar, Murshidabad, and Sandeshkhali.
Opposition and Left fight for relevance
The Congress factor, despite a long electoral decline, could still play a role in shaping outcomes in Kolkata and beyond. The Left Front, once dominant under Jyoti Basu, continues to struggle to regain relevance in the state.Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress has also faced fire from its INDIA bloc allies, the Congress and the Left, even as it tries to maintain its stronghold in West Bengal’s political landscape.
Tamil Nadu
Over 5.73 crore voters are set to decide the fate of 4,023 candidates in the high-stakes Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on April 23, with tight security in place and a sweeping crackdown on inducements by the Election Commission of India.
DMK vs AIADMK : The core battle
The contest is primarily between the DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK-led front, with chief minister MK Stalin seeking a second term, while Edappadi K Palaniswami aims to return to power after five years.Tamil Nadu’s political landscape has long been dominated by Dravidian parties, and this election largely continues that bipolar trend. However, the DMK has appeared electorally stronger in recent years, while the AIADMK has struggled to regain its footing after the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.The last assembly election that AIADMK managed to win was in 2016, under Amma’s shadow, just months before her death. The five-year chief ministerial tenure was then divided between Jayalalithaa, O Panneerselvam, and later EPS, who now holds the party command.The national parties, BJP and Congress, remain in the backseat of their Dravidian partners, the BJP is in an electoral alliance with its old and traditional ally AIADMK, while Congress is aligned with the ruling DMK.
Vijay factor adds new twist
This election, however, comes with a fresh variable. Tamil superstar Vijay has entered the political arena with his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, drawing massive crowds at rallies and roadshows.His popularity has translated into strong on-ground mobilisation, though one such gathering in Karur tragically led to a stampede.
Can crowd support turn into votes?
While Vijay’s entry has added a new dimension to the contest, his party is contesting independently, outside the DMK and AIADMK alliances. Unlike national parties such as the BJP and Congress, TVK is not seen as an “outsider” in Tamil Nadu’s political fabric.The key question, however, remains whether this visible public support can convert into votes, a challenge that has historically tested celebrity-led political ventures in the state.
