The Impressive TimesKolkata, May 10 , 2024 : After first three-phase polling for ten Lok Sabha seats in eight northern districts of West Bengal, which passed off peacefully sans spilling blood for the first time in recent decades, the state, amid allegations and counter allegations on Sandeshkhali and CAA issues, goes to the fourth phase election to eight seats on May 13. An estimated over 1.5 crore electorate, spreading over 15,507 polling stations, will have to return eight winners from some 75 aspirants seeking their electoral fortune in the five districts. The contest, however, revolves around the candidates of ruling Trinamool Congress, main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and combined Left-Congress for Baharampur, Ranaghat (SC), Krishnanagar, Bardhaman Purba, Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur and Birbhum Lok Sabha seats. Whilst the TMC and BJP are contesting in all eight seats, Left in six and Congress in two constituencies. The key players in the south Bengal constituencies are state Congress president Adhir Ranjan
Chowdhury from Baharampur, TMC’s Mahua Moitra (Krishnanagar) Shatrughan Sinha (Asansol), and former cricketers Yusuf Pathan ( Baharampur) and Kirti Azad (BardhamanDurgapur), BJP’s former state president Dilip Ghosh (Bardhaman-Durgapur) and former Union minister S S Ahluwalia (Asansol). A galaxy of BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have campaigned for BJP candidates Rajmata Amrita Roy (Krishnanagar) and Dilip Ghosh. Roy, who hails from the Krishnanagar Royal family, is the richest among them with total assets worth Rs 554 crore as declared in her election affidavit. She is contesting against TMC’s Mahua Moitra. Modi and Shah campaigned for Ghosh, who is pitted against Kirti Azad. Ghosh won the last Lok Sabha polls from Medinipur but this time he was nominated to contest polls from Bardhaman Durgapur. The Baharampur Lok Sabha seat in Murshidabad district has thrown up a triangular contest
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