West Bengal Phase 1 Elections 2021: 26 of 30 seats voted for TMC in 2016

Kolkata, Mar 27: Voting for the high-profile West Bengal assembly elctions 2021 is underway in over 30 crucial seats amid tight security. More than 73 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 191 candidates in these seats, most of which are located in the once-Naxal-affected Jungle Mahal region.

The Trinamool Congress is contesting 29 of the 30 seats, while supporting an Independent in the Joypur assembly segment in Purulia as the nomination of its official candidate Ujjwal Kumar was rejected by the EC due to a discrepancy.

The BJP is also contesting 29 seats and backing ally AJSU Party of Jharkhand in Baghmundi.

The Left-Congress-ISF alliance has put up candidates in all 30 seats, even as there are "friendly fights" in some.

Of these 30 seats, 27 were won by the TMC in the 2016 assembly elections, the Congress bagged two and RSP one. However, the equations changed in 2019 with BJP making massive inroads in the tribal-dominated Jungle Mahal region, winning all five Lok Sabha constituencies -- Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Medinipur and Bishnupur.

West Bengal has been caught in the throes of violent political clashes between the TMC and BJP supporters which have claimed several lives on both sides over the last few days, prompting the Election Commission to deploy such a massive number of central forces.

West Bengal is voting in eight phases for 294 seats. The votes will be counted on May 2.