The political battle between the incumbent Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the alliance between the Congress and Left parties in West Bengal, entered its final leg on Thursday when polling for the sixth and last phase began early morning.
The final phase is also important because it marks the first time-ever polling for the residents of border enclaves in Cooch Behar districts.
Polling in the border enclaves of West Bengal is happening because of the formal inclusion of the enclaves in the Indian territory last year. According to a news report by PTI, a total of 9,776 voters are present in the enclave, for whom special arrangements and awareness programs have been conducted by the Election Commission of India.
A total of 25 assembly constituencies are going to polls, with 58,04,019 voters eligible to cast their votes to seal the fate of 170 candidates, including 18 women.
Thursday will also see polling in the Nandigram assembly constituency in East Midnapore district. The place was the epicentre of a massive land acquisition drive which became a focal point for the Left parties’ loss in 2011 after being in power in the state for more than three consecutive decades. In the previous assembly elections of 2011, TMC won all 16 seats in East Midnapore district.
