Fate of 191 candidates to be sealed in 1st phase of West Bengal polls today

KOLKATA: West Bengal's much-anticipated assembly elections will get under way in eight rounds from today till April 29 to elect representatives to 294 seats with the ruling Trinamool Congress party (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) competing on poll pledges and campaign rhetorics.

While the TMC, led by two-time chief minister Mamata Banerjee, is attempting a hat-trick of victories, the BJP is also making every effort to ensure that lotus blooms in the state.

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On the third front, the CPI (M) and Congress have agreed to share seats, and this group is also attempting to align with the Indian Secular Front (ISF).

The state has a total of 23 districts.

Voting in the eight-phase assembly elections is expected to begin at 8 am and end at 6 pm.

The results of the West Bengal elections will be announced on May 2, according to the Election Commission of India's website.

Of the 294 seats 68 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 16 for Scheduled Tribes.

Thirty seats are going to polls in the first phase, including all of Purulia and Jhargram's constituencies, as well as those from Bankura, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur.

The first phase of polling will decide the fate of 191 candidates, including 21 women.

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