Elections for seventh and most crucial phase of elections in West Bengal in which highest number of Lok Sabha seats (nine) begins.
An electorate of 1.49 crore will decide the fate of 111 candidates contesting in nine seats, Kolkata North and Kolkata South in the metropolis, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat in North 24 Parganas and Diamond Harbour, Jaynagar (SC) and Mathurapur (SC) in South 24 Parganas respectively.
The Election Commission has deployed 710 companies of central armed police forces for the last phase of elections in the State. These forces will provide 100% static postings at all the 17,058 polling booths. In addition, 461 Quick Response Teams headed by an Assistant. Commandants of central forces will also be in support.
Six sitting MPs of Trinamool Congress including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee are in the contest. Other Trinamool candidates are Sudip Bandyopadhyay from Kolkata North Mala Roy from Kolkata South. Mr Bandyopadhyay is facing BJPs Rahul Sinha while Ms. Roy is pitted against Chandra Bose of BJP. In both the seats the CPI(M) has fielded women candidate Nandini Mukherjee from Kolkata South and Kaninika Bose from Kolkata
The fate of two actors nominated from Trinamool Nushrat Jahan and Mimi Chakraborty in contest from Basirhat and Jadavpur respectively will also be decided in this phase. Ms. Jahan is facing Sayantan Bose of the BJP while Ms Chakraborty is facing Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya of the CPI(M).