West Bengal is bracing for an eagerly awaited Lok Sabha election in 2024, scheduled to unfold across seven phases from April 19 to June 1. The aim is to elect 42 members to the 18th Lok Sabha, with the results set to be announced on June 4.
The key contenders in this electoral arena include the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and a coalition comprising the Left Front and Indian National Congress.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, despite Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's TMC (Trinamool Congress) emerging as the largest party with 18 seats, they experienced a significant decrease of 12 seats compared to 2014. Meanwhile, the ruling party at the centre, BJP, made a remarkable leap to 18 seats in 2019 from just two in 2014.
During Phase 1 of the elections on April 19, polling will take place in constituencies including Coochbehar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri.
Coochbehar-
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held public rallies in the traditional saffron stronghold of North Bengal's Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituency. The competition in this area, historically controlled by the BJP, is heating up as the TMC puts in concerted efforts to challenge the BJP's dominance.
BJP has put forward the incumbent MP, Nishith Pramanik, as their candidate, while the TMC has nominated Jagadish Chandra Burma Basunia. Nitish Chandra Roy of the Forward Bloc (FB) is also contesting, engaged in a "friendly fight" alongside Congress's Pia Roy Chowdhury, who is an ally.
Alipurduar-
On April 19, Alipurduar, a constituency reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST), will go to the polls along with two other constituencies in North Bengal - Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar - in the first phase of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Senior BJP leader Manoj Tigga is contesting from the Alipurduar Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal on BJP ticket against Prakash Chik Baraik from TMC.
Jalpaiguri-
Jalpaiguri constitutes one of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. Located in North Bengal, this constituency is designated as reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs).
In the initial phase of voting, Dr. Jayanta Kumar Roy, the incumbent MP from the BJP, is facing competition from Nirmal Chandra Roy of the TMC and Debraj Barman representing the CPI-M.
North Bengal transformed into a stronghold for the BJP following its significant victories in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Notably, the BJP secured victories in six out of the assembly segments, with the exception of Rajganj. However, by 2021, the party experienced a setback as most of Jalpaiguri's assembly segments reverted to the TMC's control.
Darjeeling, Raiganj and Balurghat will go into polls in its second phase on April 26.
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